His day began with a shower, and although Nathan Wuornos didn't know it yet, it was also going to end with one.

He let the hot water wash over his body, closing his eyes and willing his muscles to relax. The tile shower stall, an area big enough for two he had thought, when tiling, filled up with steam. Standing there, he allowed himself the luxury of reliving those moments between Audrey and himself from the day before. How her voice, an octave higher than normal, had caught when he'd told her it was, God willing, Lucy Ripley's address. He'd had a second to see the flash of affection in her navy eyes before, in one movement, she'd thrown her arms around him and gathered him into a tight embrace. He'd stuttered from the lovely shock of her body up against his and her cheek hot against his neck. When she let go, he wasn't even disappointed from the lack of touch as she had seemed so hopeful. Her eyes had looked into his and she said those words which had been playing on repeat in the back of his mind since then: You're not just my partner, either. He couldn't contain the slight quirk of a smile across his face and he'd felt like a lovestruck teenager again when he'd said, boot toes kicking the dirt, "I'll be here." She'd walked away, her blonde hair scenting the air with a musky floral as she'd stepped past him and he had revelled in her words for a moment before he realized she'd only taken four steps. He remembered turning around, and slow motion seeing her walk towards him with a serious determination. She'd planted her hands on either side of his slightly scruffy face and given him a hard, promising kiss. He blushed a little, alone, standing in the shower, as he remembered his lack of response. He hoped it hadn't made her question him. He had just been so blown away by the sweet softness of her lips, the heat of her smooth hands, the taste of her and how her hair tickled the side of his face for a brief moment. By the time he'd calmed his whirlwind nerves and raised his hands to hold her, she was gone.

Almost as if he was coming to- out of a dream one might say- Nathan took a deep breath and grabbed his soap. He hadn't heard from Audrey last night despite him constantly checking his cellphone throughout the meeting for any sort of message from her. He was nervous to go into the station, without talking to her about transpired between them. Catching himself nervous, Nathan was almost disgusted with himself. Nervous? He wasn't sixteen years old anymore. Then he smiled to himself. Feeling this way about someone- Audrey, was nice. The nervousness kept his stomach fluttery and warm, and he decided he wasn't opposed to feeling something like that.

He finished up in the shower, and quickly got dressed, tucking his shirt in with extra care and glancing at his ruffled hair in the mirror more than once before resigning to the image of the man who stared back at him.

- x - x - x -

When he arrived at the station, Nathan took a deep breath before pushing the door open. He couldn't feel it, but warm air blew past him into the cool breezy morning and he felt comfortable as his officers gave him a welcoming nod. This was his territory, and everybody knew it. His eyes quickly swept the room before they found her, at the back of the room by the coffee machine. For a moment before she noticed him, he openly stared at her. Her straw silk hair was tied back today, in a haphazardly loose French braid. She wore a plaid lined olive blazer over a black v-neck sweater. Her belt was done up cockily on the side, as per usual, and brown leather peeked out beneath her dark wash jeans. A bluish tinge to the skin under her eyes gave away that she hadn't slept much, and her body looked tense, as if she was cold. She was blowing on a cup of coffee, her hands wrapped around. He noticed it was his cup. Her lips were formed into a small rosebud 'o' as she glanced up and caught his eye. Nathan felt his stomach inflating with hot air as he flashed her a quick smile before walking over to her. She took a sip of the coffee, a frown gently creasing her forehead before she swallowed and passed him the cup.

"I think it's good to go," she said.

"Thanks," Nathan replied, taking the cup carefully, trying to avoid the livewires of her fingers. He didn't know why; perhaps he didn't want her to think he was starved for her touch.

She turned and walked into her office, leaning up against her desk and hugging her arms around herself.

"You look a little tired, Parker," Nathan said as he followed, taking a large mouthful of his coffee.

"I sleep here and there," she said, looking up at him. For a moment they stared at each other before Nathan moved to the far side of the room and settling down into a chair. He felt he needed the distance between them at the moment, to let her know that nothing was expected, nothing obligatory. Not wanting to pry, he kept silent as he took another sip of his coffee.

Audrey took a deep breath before sitting down at her desk. Moving some paperwork around without really realizing what she was doing, she started filling Nathan in on her meeting with the original Lucy Ripley. When Audrey mentioned the Crocker name and then started explaining what her and Duke discovered in his father's journal, Nathan tried to keep himself inexpressive. Audrey noticed however, how his knuckles tightened on his coffee cup and how his brow darkened the slightest bit.

"So that's about all I know," she finished. She watched him processing the information.

"What does Duke think?" He asked, rotating his now empty coffee cup between his hands. He glanced up at her and continued, "Or rather, do you trust him?"

"We can trust Duke," she said, trying to fill her words with absolute certainty to quell the doubts she knew her partner was having.

A sharp rap at the door interrupted them. Stan poked his head in. "We've got a call about a disturbance out at the old Van de Dugen's property, off Stonehill road. And Chief, Marla says you can't leave until you sign this week's paperwork." He ducked out quickly before Nathan could find an excuse to avoid his duties.

Audrey smiled at his despondent face. "I'll go check it out, you can catch up when you're done your paperwork," she said in a teasing voice.

"Parker- be careful out there," Nathan tried to keep the protectiveness out of his voice.

"Always am," she quipped back. She hand her hand on the doorknob and had opened the door an inch when Nathan's hand reached out and closed it again. She was surprised to find him standing so close beside her and looked up at him with her mouth open and a frown on her face.

"I mean it," he said, his voice deep.

Audrey's face softened at his affection. "I'll keep you updated. But seriously, I can take care of myself." She turned the doorknob but Nathan's hand stayed in position. She looked up at him again, and for a moment the air seemed to crackle with all the things left unsaid. Nathan swallowed and broke the silence.

"Dinner," he said gruffly. "Tonight. I'll cook." He waited nervously for Audrey's reaction and inwardly sighed when her mouth curved slowly upward.

"Dinner... yeah, OK. I can do that," she said, her sapphire eyes smiling. She reached her hand up and gently cupped the side of his face, staring at him for a moment. He ever so briefly closed his eyes and turned his head into her hand, quietly breathing out all the tension he'd built up from hearing about the Crocker family mission."I'll be there," she finished, letting her hand softly run the length of his face before she was gone.

- x - x - x -