They were sitting at the back of a bar sharing a small table, a plate of nachos and they each had a beer in hand. Chase with his chair turned so the back was against the wall and Park had her legs tucked under the table. They had changed out of their hospital garb and put on street cloths. Chase was in his leather jacket with a white shirt under it and jeans, casual and comfortable. Park was in her work slacks and a light blue, button up shirt that was pleated down the front. This was their fifth dinner together since the awkward dreams had happened. The first meal had been a bit weird, but things had easily taken on the old spirit. Now it was a little treat for both of them, an escape from the stress of work and her family.
"You were not on the drill team," Chase teased smiling brightly at the idea. Thinking of Park in any type of uniform was almost cringe worthy, but a cheerleading outfit was the worst.
"My parents wanted me involved with a sport, it would look good on college applications, but I'm no good at, well, anything like that," she said shrugging, "Three weeks of practice and I was politely asked to leave the team. I guess telling the coach I found the whole experience to be degrading and humiliating didn't exactly help my cause."
"That sounds more like you," he said reaching down to grab a chip and brought it to his mouth. A string of cheese was coming off of it and went straight across to the chip that Park was holding.
"You've got to be kidding me," Park scoffed, "This is so Lady and the Tramp."
"Calling me a tramp?" Chase demanded lightheartedly.
"If the shoe fits," she countered, making him smile.
"I'll wear it," he said, laughing which made her laugh. Her whole body was shaking with it, including the barest hint of her breasts. She really was flat. He brought his eyes casually up to hers much preferring the sight of her shining eyes.
He put the chip into his mouth and the long string that was attached to it. Park gave him an odd look before reaching up and snapping off the cheese midway. She put her chip down without eating it and put the drink to her lips. She finished it and stood up.
"Going somewhere?" he asked ready to stand up as well.
"Refill," she said holding up the empty glass.
He nodded and sat back down, something pulling at the edge of his mind. She was acting off again, at least he thought so. It was hard to tell with Park sometimes.
He watched her walk off, trying to read into her pose, her face. He could only see half of her face, but he knew she was thinking. She had the expression that meant she was either working on a hard case or trying to understand human interaction. She glanced back at him, her eyes shy to meet his. She came back with a long island ice tea, which was stronger than anything he'd seen her drink so far.
"After the drill team I tried tennis," she admitted and went on to tell him about her refusal to wear one of those tiny skirts as she'd done a study and found they did nothing to improve gameplay, but did increase the number of people in the crowd, mainly males. He found himself smiling the whole time, but not saying much. She was rambling and drinking the strong liquor quickly between run on sentences. She was revving up for something, but he couldn't figure out what.
"I played lacrosse-"he started, but she cut him off.
"Do you want to kiss me?" she asked suddenly. His eyes went wide and he sat up straight, subconsciously distancing himself from her.
"What?" he said knowing he was giving her that look that she always considered insulting and it might well be, "I thought we were past this."
"Yes. I am aware that we've both decided to ignore any inclination of a sexual nature towards the other. Me out of sheer embarrassment and you out of shame," he wanted to correct her, but she was talking too fast, "But just then, with the chip. You ate the chip without taking off the cheese."
"We're eating nachos, they normally have cheese on them," he argued.
"Not cheese connected to another chip that is going into another person's mouth. We were talking about lady and the tramp and everything. The suggestion should have been obvious," she said giving him a look like he was dumb.
"I wasn't thinking of that," he told her and it was true. He hadn't thought of that. Although he had thought of kissing her, wondering if she'd be as forceful in real life as his dream had suggested she might be.
"Subconsciously you might have been. We've become very close in the last few weeks, emotionally and intellectually, it's only natural our bodies would respond somewhat. I've theorize that if I was attractive we would have had sex months ago," she said and there he had to stop her.
"That's not true," he proclaimed but she ignored him. She might have been smart too.
"If we had, our relationship would have taken a different turn," she continued, "We wouldn't feel so safe with one another. You'd feel pressured to make a commitment and I'd feel the need to perform for you as a sexualized female always does. I'd want to wear makeup and cover up my faults. You'd do the same and we wouldn't have this honesty. I cherish this…comfort we have together."
"I do as well," he admitted wondering why she had brought up the chip at all then. Would it have been better for their situation if she hadn't brought it up at all?
"That doesn't mean at points I'm not…that I don't…" she started, but couldn't finish. She tilted her head down and took the last sip of her strong drink.
"Think of me that way?" he asked having an idea what she was insinuating at. She gave him one of those looks that made him feel as if he'd said something completely arrogant and dumb.
"That I don't feel insulted that you're shallow enough not to be attracted to me based solely on physical preference," she told him sounding more defensive than honest. He didn't press the subject only sat there looking at her sullen face.
"You're not ugly," he told her, reaching out and taking her hand in his, "You're pretty in this…sweet way. You're so…" He didn't know what to say. He was normally so good at complementing those plastic women he used to sleep with, but this real woman before him left him speechless.
"I shouldn't have drank this much," she said but she finished the drink anyways.
Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes a bit glossy. Had it taken that much booze to get her comfortable to talk to him about it? Her eyes were staring at their hands and then up at him. His thumb rubbed over her skin and her eyes shuttered to a close. His breath quickened and his heart jumped at the sight. Her mouth opened to let out a sigh and he couldn't stop staring at her lips.
"Yes," he said out of nowhere.
"Yes?" she asked raising a brow, "Yes what?"
"I want to kiss you," he admitted both to her and himself. He did too. He looked forward to their meals together; he couldn't wait to talk to her, he texted her constantly. She was right, he was comfortable with her and that meant more than he could admit. It made her special to him and it was slowly changing his opinion of her.
"Why don't you? The physical limitations have always been set by you and it's your responsibility to break them," she challenged, leaning forward and puckering up. It wasn't a pleasant image really and he did his best not to move away. He couldn't do it. It only lasted an instant. She sat back quickly and stood, looking miserable.
"It's okay," she said rubbing the hand he had been holding, "I get it, it's okay. Can I stay at your place tonight?"
He felt a blush creep over his cheeks like he was sixteen again. He didn't know why, she'd stayed over before. Only now that didn't sound like the best idea. It might also get weird considering how tonight had gone.
"I don't want my parents to see me this drunk again," she explained starting to walk and swaggering a bit. He stood quickly and put his arm around her, steadying her before she could fall. She leaned heavily on him and she felt good pressed up to his side. He hadn't drank enough to enjoy just any warm body being close to him, but she did feel nice. He ran a hand through her hair, messing up the near perfect crop. He had the urge to lean over and kiss the top of her head, but that seemed too brotherly. It might make matters worse.
"Of course," he said rubbing her shoulder and then nudging her forward a bit. She swayed on the way to the car. It would seem four beers and one long island had been a bit too much for her.
As he was driving them home, Park was leaning her head on the window, commenting that she liked the cold against her forehead. She turned so she was facing him for a moment.. When he looked over he saw eyes full of longing and a deep sadness. It was if she was on the brink of crying, but there was anger that replaced it. She huffed and turned away from him.
He reached over to touch her, trying his best to comfort her. She flinched away and he dropped his hand. He hated that. He wished he could make her feel better, make her happy. He'd do anything to see her smile.
He parked his car in the driveway and he got out. He watched her struggle with the door before going over to her. He helped her out and refused to remove his arm when she pushed away. He supported her as they went towards the door.
"Haven't eaten for six hours," she explained, "No food to absorb the alcohol."
"You don't need to explain," he said giving her a smile as he tried to find his house keys.
"You have a lot of muscles on your back," she said then corrected quickly, "I mean, I'm sure you have the normal number of muscles, but they're toned nicely."
"I don't work out or anything," he told her finally finding the key and starting to unlock it. He stopped dead when he felt a hand under his shirt.
"A mesomorph body type is rare but highly sought after," she told him slurring her words slightly. Her hand started climbing up his back and he felt suddenly very aware they were still outside and someone might see them.
"Park," he said not sure where this was going. She moved her hand away from his back and he felt an odd cold patch where it had been.
"Sorry," she said looking down at her shoes.
He opened the door and walked her inside. The door closed behind them and she leaned against it on her own. She still wasn't meeting his eyes.
"I should go home," she said reaching for the door handle, but it took two fumbling attempts before she even got close. He grabbed her hand and held it. He was distracted for a moment by the softness of her skin and how small her hand felt in his.
"Stay," he said softly. Slowly her eyes came up and met his. She was searching his eyes for something he knew wasn't there. He wished it was, but that wasn't how it worked. He stepped forward, his body closing in on hers.
"Okay," she said sounding unsure about the simple answer. Her face was contorted with confusion. He was confused too in all honesty. His body was moving on its own, knowing what it wanted even if his mind didn't understand why.
His hand moved up to her cheek and he stroked his thumb over her lip. She gasped, her eyes going wide and her mouth hanging open. He felt a thrill go through his body. Her tongue darted out and she licked him. He took in a sharp breath as he felt his blood rush to his groin. Park was turning him on. His lips twitched with a smile. She had a sheepish look on her face that was hiding excitement and a startling amount of hope.
He moved his hand away, her face dropping into a frown, but it didn't last. He leaned forward, cupping her face in his hands and kissed her. Kissing her was like breathing after being under water. It was refreshing and made him feel alive. She was stiff at first, not kissing back. He was ready to pull away when she moved her lips. She was exactly as fierce as he had dreamed. Her lips were open, tongue reaching for his and her hands on the back of his neck. He'd never had to bend down so far to kiss someone.
He groaned happily. He'd always worried that if they touched he wouldn't like it. He couldn't have been more wrong. His hands were all over her and she felt good. She made little gasps and moans and he couldn't wait to hear her when they were having sex. Having sex? Did he want that? His hips grinded against her, not an easy thing with the height difference and instantly knew he had to have sex with her.
She broke away and for an instant he panicked. Was she rethinking this? He didn't know if he could take it if she walked away now. Where would that leave them?
"Bedroom," she said breathless, but completely fearless. Her eyes were alive with passion and she pushed him backwards. He scooped her up by her knees, supporting her back with his other arm. She let out a cry of surprise and then grabbed onto his neck. He carried her into the bedroom; she was so light.
He laid her out and then crawled over her. When he had his hands on either side of her shoulders he kissed her again. They were instantly impassioned again, her hands going up to his shirt and unbuttoned it. He didn't stop her; in fact he was happy when he felt her hands exploring his chest. They didn't linger there long, quickly going down and unbuttoning his pants. She was inside them in an instant and her gasp when she felt his hard on was completely gratifying.
"Condom?" she demanded after a few desperate kisses.
"No foreplay?" he asked, but he was already looking for the condoms besides the bed. He found one and went to turn on the light. She grabbed his hand, pulling it away. She was shy and that might be alright. He wanted this, but he wasn't sure if either of them could handle full exposure at such stage. That could wait until later.
"Don't need it. We've been having mental foreplay for months," she said still out of breath. She was already undoing her pants and pushing them down.
Gently he nudged her legs open and then crawled in between them, condom firmly on. He moved his hand between her legs first and felt a warm wetness at the apex. She was unshaven as he'd imagined, but that didn't matter. He barely felt it since his mind was focused on just how wet she was. He easily slipped a finger in making her moan deep down in her throat. He moved it in and out a few times before she wiggled in frustration.
"Just do it," she insisted her hands on his shoulders and her back arched towards him. She wanted him, pretty damn strongly. It flattered him, which only helped his arousal. He didn't want to think of what House would say about that.
"Alright," he whispered into her ear and used his slick hand to guide himself in. She was so tight and felt so warm around him. He hadn't had sex in a while, but he had a feeling it'd been a lot longer for her. She let out a high pitched sound at the entry then went quiet.
"Are you okay?" Chase asked and she quickly nodded her head.
She moved her hips forward and urged him on. He started thrusting slowly, groaning at the yielding warmth that surrounded him. She was letting out little gasps and even softer groans. Her body was telling a better story than her sounds. She was arching into him, soaking wet and her nails were biting into his back pleasantly.
He kept going, their bodies pressed together as he moved inside of her. He didn't know how long it was, but he suddenly felt like he was on the edge.
"Park," he said staring down at her, but it did nothing to slow his orgasm. Her eyes were burning into his and off handedly he noticed she was still wearing her glasses and they were lopsided.
"Chase," she whispered and it sent him over the edge. He orgasmed a moment later, completely shameless and it felt heavenly; the moment after though he felt guilty as he started going limp. She hadn't orgasmed at all. He slipped out of her and Chase fumbled for what to say.
"It's okay," she said grabbing the hand that attempted to touch her, "I can't when I drink."
He only half believed that, but he was too tired and his mind was racing about other things. He moved to the other side of the bed, letting out a deep breath. He'd just had sex with Park. Casually as he could he buttoned up his pants and started to redo his shirt. He could hear Park redressing behind him, but he didn't look.
"Is this when I wake up?" she asked as he heard her head hit the pillow. He turned to look at her, the hair around her head messed instead of its normal halo around her face. She met his gaze, fixing her glasses.
"Do you want to?" he asked wondering if she regretted doing it. They should have thought about it more. They should have discussed it. This could have ruined everything.
"I don't know," she said her voice shaking softly. He slid his hand over his silky sheets until he found her hand. He held it, squeezing gently. Neither looked at the other, eyes firmly focused on the ceiling.
"Me neither," he said finally and he heard her groan. She got up and stomped across the room, arms crossed over her chest.
"Then why," she demanded glaring at him with hands on her hips, "Did you just have sex with me? You didn't have too. Did I look like I needed a pity fuck that bad?"
"No," he insisted sitting up and then moving over to the edge of the bed.
"Then why do it? I see the way you look at me. You've made it pretty damn clear you don't want me," she demanded as she had every right too.
He dropped his head into his hands and ran a hand through his hair. Why had he slept with her? It'd felt so right in the moment. All he could keep thinking about was that she'd been smiling all day. She'd helped solve the case and she'd look so proud of herself. That's why he'd even suggested dinner. He hadn't even asked Adams or Taub to join them. He'd wanted dinner to be the two of them. He preferred it like that. He could talk then, just talk to her, about anything. He'd told her everything. At one point or another he'd told her about his mother's drinking, his sister's troubles and his father's absence. He spilled out everything and it felt good. She hadn't reacted like everyone. She'd cried and told him it was horrible. He couldn't disagree, it was horrible. It was the first time he'd reached out and held her hand. They'd talked until closing at that restaurant and he'd been tempted to offer to take her home. He almost had, but he'd still dropped her off at her house.
"I don't want you," he told her and ducked from a flying punch that came out of nowhere. She was too drunk for perfect aim and he was lucky for that. He knew she could do some damage when she was trying..
"Fuck you," she said righting herself again, getting ready for another swing. She was tearing up and he didn't know how to fix her.
"I need you," he admitted standing up and getting closer to her, "I want a lot of woman, but I need you. I need to talk to you after a hard day; I need to make you smile."
She smiled a bit at that, but stayed silent. He didn't know what else to say. There wasn't much he'd figured out himself. All he knew right now was that he would say anything to make her stay.
"We could still play the drunk card," she suggested sitting down beside him on the bed.
"I'm not drunk," he told her and she looked surprised.
"Not a bit?" she asked her voice squeaking at the end.
"Nope," he said honestly. He'd had three beers and he wasn't even feeling a buzz at this point.
"I thought for sure you'd be…when we did it," she admitted.
"When?" he asked and she blushed brightly.
"I mean…huh….I have no idea how to cover that up, far too buzzed."
"It's alright," he said watching her face. It was hard to correlate the woman in front of him with someone he'd slept with.
"We should sleep," she suggested and stood up, swaggering at her first step.
"Sleep with me," he said his voice soft and he found himself really hoping she'd say yes. She turned back to him, her face twisted with surprise and confusion.
"Again? We just did," she reminded him.
"No, no not sex," he said with a little chuckle, "Sleep with me as in sleep sleep."
"Oh," she said understanding him now.
She was silent a moment before she went over and curled up on the bed. He tugged the blanket from under her and she muttered an apology. He slipped off his shoes and socks, pushing them aside before taking off his shirt. Park was pretending to try and sleep, but he could see her eyes were slightly open; she was watching him. He forced back a grin as he slowly undid his belt, giving her a bit of a show. He undid his pants pushed them down to the floor. After a moment's consideration he decided he'd keep his underwear on tonight.
He went to the other side of the bed and got in. He turned towards Park and spooned her close to him. She was still fully dressed, right down to her shoes. It was the oddest sleeping arrangement he had ever had, but he felt oddly comfortable. He went to sleep with the smell of her coconut shampoo in his nose and her less than gentle snoring in his ear.