Title: Held Together

Pairing: Crews/Reese

Rating: R

Prompt: Handcuffs, unsaid

Words: 1,254

Spoilers: Vague spoilers to Trapdoor

A/N: So... there's this ongoing Porn Battle in [info]oxoniensis. And. Well, this happened. So, this is the first time I wrote something like this but the lure was too great. Completely unbeta'd.

--

Charlie wakes to a headache. It isn't a hangover headache. No, this is a headache he was far more familiar with, it was headache brought on by fists.

He grimaces and tries to move his hands but a cool, sharp pain to his wrist check his movements. He turns his head and sees the glint of metal around his wrist. Handcuffs.

He should learn not to confront people without back-up.

"Crews."

Charlie jerks his head up, bangs it against the metal door and gapes at his partner. Reese is sitting across him, expression unreadable but she must have been there for some time because her right leg is moving up and down. It's a habit, a tic, a tell. It's what she does when she's impatient or waiting.

It's only then he notices the body a few meters away from him, The guy, Barry 'The Fists' Hubble, isn't unconscious, not with the way the blood is pooling around the body .

Hubble was wanted for assault, battery and murder. A prizefighter too liberal with his fists outside the ring. Charlie had a lead, a tip from an inmate and followed it up. He and Reese were off duty and he thought better of calling Reese when she's off duty. The tip led him to the empty warehouse. Charlie changed his mind about Reese and just when he was about to phone Reese Hubble ambushed Charlie.

It occurs to Charlie now that the tip might have been a trap all along. It's no secret people want him dead.

His eyes flick back to her. "Reese?"

She's standing now, approaching him with a key in her hand. "You didn't answer your phone. No one knew where you were."

"I was..." he starts and falters not sure how to address this. No secrets she told him before he was shot. Tell me everything.

Reese crouches down and they're at eye level. They stare at each other, Reese's expression is unreadable but her eyes are not. Her eyes are stormy and angry and dark. Charlie knows he puts a lot on her, sometimes straining the trust and faith she has for him. In turn he tries not to burden her, not to push her into truths she's not ready to face but sometimes intents and purposes are sabotaged by reality and she is still burdened.

She reaches out and examines his wounds. The split lip, the cut above his eyes. Her touch is practical but gentle but Charlie still cringes at the contact and she pulls her hand back.

"Reese." He starts again and stops when he feels her hand on his chest and shoves him against the door. Hard. He hits the back of his head against the door again.

"Idiot." She shoves him again. "Moron. Fuckwit." Each word is punctuated by another shove, harder than the next.

"Reese!" He catches her wrist stopping another assault but the move unbalances Reese and she falls forward into him, her left hand braced against his shoulder and he hits his head against the door again.

"Ow."

"Idiot." She mutters. Charlie looks down to dispute that and stops. Reese is looking up at him, could feel her anger radiating from her and feel her breath on his face and Charlie is suddenly keenly aware of their proximity. It must be a weird configuration, seen from afar.

His right hand is cuffed to the door just above his head, Reese is crouched close to him. Her hand trapped in his free hand. Charlie knows he is in trouble. Knows she doesn't like proximity or being touched without invitation.

He opens his mouth to apologize but she covers his mouth with her left hand and her eyes are like brown liquid fire. "Don't talk."

The order is hissed between clenched teeth and Charlie finds it hard to swallow. He is frozen but he could feel his breath hitch faster. Could

Feel the warmth of her hand over his lips. It feels like the moment could hold forever.

And then Reese slides her hand from his mouth. There is no second to think or breathe only feel when Reese presses her mouth against his, as her hand wanders from his face to his neck.

He jerks up when she shifts and straddles him, anchoring him against the door. He can't move his shackled arm and his other hand is occupied, holding Reese's wrist. He brings her close, pulls her arm to him. He is trying to mesh their bodies together. Bring her closer than physics or the laws of nature would allow.

At the same time Charlie tries to slow the pace, softening his kisses but Reese would have none of it. She bites his wounded lip and he cries out, pulls away. It's a fight she wants. She narrows her eyes and Charlie feels himself respond to her anger. He is not as gentle or nice as people think he is and Reese knows it. Knows the wellspring of rage and anger boiling under surface and she's coaxing him to let go.

She grinds her hips against his, daring him. There's a sneer to her lips and he hates it enough he captures her mouth for a brutal kiss. Their mouths duel against each other and Charlie finally lets go of her wrist and instinctively wraps his arm around her waist.

And somehow Reese manages to undo his shirt and her hands wander around his back, not at all gentle or nice or by the book. Her mouth trails away from his, down to his neck and that space between the neck and collarbone and Charlie gasps. His hand slips up, up to her neck, to her hair and grabs a fistful of hair.

The logistics escape him nor does it matter but his shirt is gone, or actually hanging around at the arm caught in the cuffs and her shirt is somewhere off to the side and she's fumbling at his pants and discards it faster than he could and all foreplay is done. He couldn't really think, couldn't even if he tried but he wraps his arm around her waist again and he stands, bringing her along with him, her legs wraps around his hips and there is a brief, brief moment of realization at how small she was and--

Reese lifts her weight and thoughts flee his mind. Pain clears the mind of thought but pleasure could do that all the same. It is not as finessed or controlled or anything. He's been with a lot of women since he was out but nothing could come up in comparison against this. Not even with Jen.

This is anger and rage and free fall. This is about a million unsaid things put together in a moment but soon it falls off too and becomes something else and they fall into a rhythm. And there is just this moment and he is straining to catch it, to hold on, hold on long, just a second--

He couldn't hold on Charlie feels himself fall and he's gasping and he lets out a strangled cry and then there is only white.

He comes back moments later and finds his hand unshackled. His hand falls and Reese guides it down, gentle on his wrist. Moonlight streams from somewhere above and illuminate the planes of her face.

"Reese."

She looks at him and the anger is gone from her. She is holding his wrist. Holding him to the ground and he finds, he doesn't mind. "I'm here."

#end#