a/n: So I have all of these ideas floating around and thought maybe I should just throw 'em out there. Can never have too much Ben and Kate, right? Don't own Fairly Legal, I'm just using the characters for my own amusement and, hopefully, that of my fellow shippers.
Legal Terms
Chapter One
Ben sat quietly at the end of the sofa, one leg bent across the cushion, the other draped over the edge. Notebook and pen in hand, his eyes scanned the page in the folder nestled in the crook of his knee. He spent the better part of forty-five minutes trying to prepare for the next morning's court appearance, but his attention continued to shift to Kate in her place at the other end of the sofa.
Though Ben had assured her, several times, that he was capable of prepping for the case by himself, Kate insisted on bringing her services. She had stopped by his apartment shortly after dinner, clad in a white tank top and a very short pair of purple pajama shorts. Ben kept his comments about her attire to himself, not wanting to give her reason to wander down the hallway to her apartment to change. An hour into sorting through papers, he caught Kate shiver and had offered her one of his sweatshirts. She had turned down his offer three times, accepting only after he had forced the sweatshirt over her head.
With Kate comfortably snuggled into the corner of the sofa, bare legs curled to her side, Ben found concentrating on anything but the long length of bare skin extremely difficult. Smooth and perfect with her natural tanned coloring, her legs offered more interest that his files.
"You're going to want this one, too," Kate said, leaning across the sofa to hand Ben the paper.
"Yeah," he said absently, taking her offer. She tilted her head to the side, following his gaze to the empty cushion between them.
"You seem rather distracted, Benedict," she observed. He hummed a response but did not look at her. "It's almost one in the morning," she continued. "Maybe we should pack up for the night."
Ben closed his folder and reached across the sofa to pull Kate's folder from her hands. She watch him, eyebrows raised, as he set the folders on the table and moved to the middle cushion. He hooked his left arm under her knees, drawing her legs over his lap. Reaching with his right hand, he gently cupped her chin, guiding her mouth towards his. Kate lifted her hands to his chest, intent on pushing him back until he shifted closer and teased her lips with a soft touch of his tongue. She sighed against his mouth as he leaned over her, pushing her back into the armrest of the sofa, deepening the kiss.
"Yeah," Kate laughed. "It is definitely time to call it a night." Ben looked at her, his brow furrowed in question.
"What?"
"Quittin' time," she explained with a smile. "It's late and you're starting to zone out." She waved a hand in front of his face.
"Yeah," he smiled softly, playfully batting her hand away. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be." She deposited a stack of file folders on the table and stood. "Get some sleep so you can kick ass in court tomorrow."
"Right," he laughed. "You know, I wouldn't have to worry about court if you would have settled the mediation." Ben stood and followed Kate to the door.
"That was not my fault. Both parties walked into this with no intention of meeting anywhere near the middle."
"Excuses, excuses, Katie. I'll be by around seven-thirty tomorrow."
"I promise I'll be ready on time."
"You better be or I'll be heading to the court-house without you."
"Like you could get rid of me that easily." Kate pulled her keys and her phone off the small table by the door.
"I can dream, can't I?" She offered a sarcastic laugh.
"All right, well, I will see you in the morning," Kate smiled. "Good night." As she reached for the doorknob, Ben gently pressed his palm against the door, preventing her from opening it. She looked up at him, silently but softly questioning his actions. He placed his other hand on her hip, coaxing her movements until she stood in front of him. Kate drew a slow breath as she realized he was effectively trapping her. He stepped into her, pushing her against the door. The contact prompted a soft 'oh' from Kate; the sound silenced as Ben pressed his mouth against hers. He kissed her softly at first; teasing the tension he felt building in her body. His tongue played lightly across her lips as he nipped at her, giving in to a full kiss only when she sighed.
Ben's fingers trailed along the door until they found Kate's hair, weaving in the long, brunette locks. He held the back of head, tightened his arm around her waist and deepened the kiss. Lost in the contact and relishing the way she squirmed against him, he pulled her away from the door and walked her backwards to the couch. As he continued to kiss her, Ben took hold of her wrists, guiding her arms up and around his neck. Kate started to pull away but tightened her hands on his shoulders as he carefully lowered their bodies onto the cushions of the couch.
"I will see you tomorrow, Benedict," she smiled. "Good night."
"Good night." Ben closed the door after Kate left and rested his forehead against the frame. "It's going to be a long, long night," he sighed.