Author's usual notes and disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of my stories and the developments I've let them go through.
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A/N and summary: This was meant to be an episode of the Framed Memories collection but it developed into something bigger and suddenly there were about 4000 words. A picture I've recently seen was the inspiration. Here's my story behind it. Enjoy...
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Your Reading Glasses - a Framed Memories Story
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"DI Havers?"
"Huh?" Surprised Barbara, who was sitting at the desk and had been reading a long text on the computer without recognising that someone had come through the open door of the office, looked up. But before she could remove the reading glasses from the tip of her nose she already heard the fake sound of a camera clicking and saw the mobile phone next to the young man's head. Tommy's grinning face appeared behind it.
"I just-" the young Constable started but DI Havers was faster.
"Tommy!" she exclaimed tossing her glasses onto the desk. The look the man behind him received from her made Constable Myers blush. He looked anywhere but at his superior and stepped out of the way. "I told you not to-"
"I couldn't resist, Barbara! It was the perfect moment for my revenge! I'll frame it and hang it up next to mine in the bedroom. See you in the evening." Tommy waved a hand and his laugh could be heard all his way down the small corridor.
Myers blushed even deeper and nervously fidgeted with his fingertips. He had to clear his throat.
"Sometimes I believe he's insane." Barbara said shaking her head but smiling encouragingly at the young Constable. "Myers, right?"
The young man nodded and almost died of embarrassment. DI Havers had mercy.
"Just in case you haven't heard it, Constable Myers: the Chief Super and I are a married couple for over ten years. It's more than appropriate we share a bedroom."
"Yes, Ma'am." Myers croaked.
"Now, what can I do for you?" She leant back nodding and made an inviting gesture towards the twenty-something boy with still downy beards to sit down on the chair on the other side of her desk.
Although she appeared to listen to the Constable's matters her mind went back to an event more than twelve years ago while he talked to her.
...
Never had she been happier to wear a dress. At least that was what she had told Hillier when he had said that he expected her to be present on that charity event and wear something appropriate. Recently the Met was showing their attachment with what bothered the common people so this time they supported a nation wide operating fund for locomotory limited youngsters. Hillier had wanted the best teams to show full presence this time and Barbara was part of it, even when it was not particularly for his liking. The DI would be there of course, because Lord Asherton took part in almots all events of that kind, but DC Nkata and Dr Lafferty also would come so she had at least two people to properly talk to. His Lordship most certainly would be too busy small talking with possible sponsors and most certainly would hold a speech.
Of course he did that and it was the only moment when Barbara listened closely to what was said at the podium. In fact she listened only to his voice and not exactly to what he was saying. It surely was something meaningful but with that wonderful voice of his she had no chance to focus on his words at all.
It had happened more often lately, she realised, and it became more and more difficult to stay professional, all the more now that they were only working through old cases for two months. She dearly needed a fresh murder on her desk or the endless afternoons at the office would eat her away. She was close to becoming insane with his relaxed proximity all the time.
Winston probably was suspecting something. Recently he had been acting rather weird when his superiors were around. But tonight he was funny and together with Stu they had enjoyed the champagne and the music. Not that she had done it voluntarily, but Stu just had dragged her onto the dance floor so she even had danced.
If only Tommy would do that once. Barbara sighed and immediately blushed because Winston suddenly appeared right next to her and quizzically looked at her yearning expression. Then with a broad, almost cheeky grin he offered her another glass of champagne.
"Cheers, Barb!" he toasted winking. "To beloved colleagues!"
Bloody hell, he knew it! Barbara blushed even deeper and hid her face behind the glass with the expensive liquid.
The DI's speech was finished, he got his applause and then left the stage. Giving a few papers he still had been reading to one of the members of the fund society, he came past the orchestra not recognising Barbara and Winston who both approached him.
This would be her chance, she thought.
It would not have been Barbara's dress if there was not something useful at it and here it was a small pocket where her mobile phone was hidden. Now she quickly pulled it out from somewhere between dark green drapes and switched into camera mode. She dearly needed a picture of him with his reading glasses on. One that only belonged to her and which she could treasure for the rest of her life. That he was not wearing his usual dinner jacket tonight, but was dressed completely in black, with some sort of a black frock-coat, reaching further down to his thighs than a normal suit coat, with a black silk shirt and tie, his hair tamed and combed back except for a few strands of the wayward lock that always tended to fall over his eye, only deepened her wish to keep the memory of this sight. Her fingers actually trembled when she fidgeted with her phone.
"Well done, Sir!" Winston rumbled raising his glass.
Confused Lynley looked up and instantly smiled when he saw them. Unfortunately Barbara had not yet been ready so she only was able to catch him quickly taking off his glasses. His gorgeous smile though was captured.
She knew he was not overly pleased that he needed his reading glasses and he definitely was not aware that she admired the look of him with those little helpers and the new partially greyed beard. Her feelings would not at all be appropriate so she constantly was hiding them very well but in fact she turned into jelly every time she took her time and secretly watched him. Like she now almost was dissolving when their eyes had locked.
The brief frown on his face had vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Lynley saw the affectionate smile in her eyes, barely hidden by a cheeky grin. "I told you not to-"
"Bah, humbug, Sir." Barbara laughed. "You look too handsome not to keep that image. I'll be using it for your profile pic on my phone."
Then she actually giggled. And of course she blushed because if there had not been the champagne she never would have told him that. Winston raised his eyebrows in wonder but had to join her laughter anyway. He linked his left arm with hers and raised his glass again.
"We were just drinking to our beloved colleagues." he said.
Finally Lynley's eyes went to Nkata. "Each one by one, or so it seems. We're a bit tipsy, aren't we?"
"Not enough, obviously." There was disappointment in Nkata's voice. His eyes went from Lynley to Barbara and back again. Although Lynley stood facing them he had managed to position himself closer to his Sergeant and if he would lift his arm just about three inches he would be able to take her hand. If only he would finally do it, Nkata thought.
"Not at all, Sir." she said. The small dimples in her cheeks appeared. They only appeared when she showed that secret smile she kept for Lynley. Nkata grinned broader. He knew Barbara felt safe. Now he only had to disappear and leave them alone. Easier said than done with Barbara's arm suddenly holding his tighter. "Winnie had brought me two glasses of champagne but I'm not tipsy."
"Three." Winston said. "It was three glasses. And Lafferty brought you another one after you've danced with him.
When he almost uncontrollably giggled Lynley addressed him with an eyebrow raised in amusement. "And you've had five?"
"Six, Sir."
"Ha-haa!" Suddenly Lafferty appeared on Barbara's left. He put his arm around her bare shoulders which were only covered by a transparent shawl. An almost inaudible annoyed groan escaped Lynley's lungs. "I top you all! I've had eight already!"
"So, you were about to leave?" Lynley asked sharper than he had intended.
"Ah, bullshit!" Stuart slurred. The DI only raised an eyebrow and it made Barbara snicker. A waitress came past behind Lynley. The pathologist raised his hand and followed her. "Hello, Miss?"
Winston was looking to the ground. He felt ashamed. "You're right, Sir. It's just... When will we common people will have such a good bubbly again?"
"If you go on consuming it at such a speed, you may never enjoy it again, Winston."
"I'll call for a taxi." With that he turned on his heels and disappeared.
"You're mean." Barbara scolded her boss. She still was grinning and enjoyed that banter too much to be seriously angry with him.
"Why?"
"You just wanted-" She hiccupped. "Sorry! ...to be alone with me."
Although she felt that this definitely was inappropriate Barbara could not help but foolishly giggle. The sudden seriousness in Lynley's eyes though made her nervous.
"Actually that was not exactly the reason right now, but generally... - yes."
Barbara stared at him in shock. She was sure that she read his expression in the wrong way but if she would not know it better she would say there was a certain affection and not at all the indignation which there should be. And he sounded totally serious.
DI Lynley slightly bent down to her and grabbing her elbow he directed her around. "Let's go into the foyer. It's much quieter there for a talk."
On the way there Barbara took another glass of champagne from a tray a passing waiter had offered. He was dark haired and as tall as Lynley was. In fact he even could be a younger version of her boss so she blessed him with a nice smile.
"Hmmm." she hummed approving, stopped and turned a bit to look after the young man. Surprisingly he had winked at her almost the same way the DI sometimes winked at her. "What a handsome waiter." Barbara purred.
"I think you've had enough of these." the DI mumbled. A sudden sting of jealousy had teared at his heart. He gently took the glass from her hand and placed it on one of the high tables they passed. Barbara tried to turn back and grab that glass again but her boss nudged her forward.
"I should bring you home." Oblivious to his sad frown Barbara just giggled. His suggestion could be misinterpreted in more than one way and it amused her. But it just added to the desperation Tommy felt at the moment. He stopped pushing her forward and Barbara turned her head to the disappearing waiter again.
"Seriously. He could be your son!" In the moment he had said it he knew he had hurt her badly. He could see it in her eyes so he quickly tried to take a safe turn. "I'm sorry, Barbara. It wasn't meant that way. But aren't there enough other handsome men of our age like- mmmh!"
In a bold movement and before her mind would be able to stop her from doing it Barbara had pulled at the lapels of his frock-coat to bring his lips down on hers with a boisterous kiss that would stop him talking bullshit. Indeed there were handsome men of her age, but there was one certain handsome man of her age and she was just giving him a kiss ignoring the fact that there were other people in the foyer.
It took Lynley only a short moment to get over his surprise and respond to it. His arms had slipped around her waist immediately and with softly soothing movements he was able to turn the contact of their lips into something less clumsy as it initially had been.
Soon the two had adjusted their pace and pressure into a tenderly fluent kiss in the bright light of the foyer. Barbara's arms were wound around his neck and with the palm of her hands she could feel the sensation of burying her hand into his hair. Eventually Tommy sensed that she had parted her lips for him, even though she was not completely aware of it herself, so he slowly moved his tongue forward. But just when the tip of it touched hers her body tensed and her head slightly moved back in shock.
Surely with all the self-restraint he could muster Tommy forced himself not to follow thus allowing her the space she needed. It felt good for her and had been the right thing to do. She suddenly only wanted nothing else but to deepen this kiss further. In less than the blink of an eye Barbara was pressing her body against the entire length of his. Her hand in his nape pulled him closer to her again, her tongue darted into his still open mouth and she gave him the most desireful kiss she ever had given. It overwhelmed him completely.
All the love she had felt for DI Tommy Lynley for such a long time poured into that kiss. She devoured him with her lips. She literally dissolved and strengthened all at once with the bliss of their tongues twisting in an intense and hungry dance. She wriggled her entire body against his and it was obvious what she craved for. She felt no need to hide it.
Finally when the desire was too much to bear she moaned into his lungs. It was the most wonderful breath Tommy ever had taken.
Unfortunately it also shook Barbara out of her enchanted state. Her mind returned to reality and asked her body if it was going insane. In an instant she felt sober and almost jumped one step away from her boss.
...
"Err... Ma'am?"
"Hm? Sorry, what...?"
"I was asking if that was too much."
"No, I don't think so." Barbara harrumphed. She had not listened at all. She only had a vague idea what Constable Myers was talking about so close to the end of the day. But she knew that Winnie was involved in the case. "Well, at least not really, but maybe you should ask Sergeant Nkata first. He's more than me occupied with it."
"Good. I will do that. Then second - there was this liquid."
Unintentionally Barbara's mind drifted back to a certain glass of bubbly.
...
After Barbara had jumped away from him Tommy made a step in almost the same direction, took the glass of champagne from the table where he had placed it only moments ago and downed it in one go. When he dared to look at her face again she still was looking at him in shock. Barbara was full of fears of every kind. She felt ashamed. She felt embarrassed. Her face was burning hot and she felt that her lips were slightly swollen from their intense kiss. Swollen like his looked. This kiss had been deeper and more arousing than she ever had dared to dream. Better than she ever had kissed at all. It had been full of genuine love. Genuine love on both sides or so it seemed.
She swallowed. Barbara felt that her soul still was laid out before him. All her usual barriers were down and she did not know how she ever could bring them up again now that she had shown him her most inner feelings.
"I'm sorry." she choked. "I'm just boozed up."
"I'm not sorry." he whispered. "Not at all. And you're not too inebriated to know that this was... very real."
The looks he gave her were pleading to not let it end here but Barbara still could not believe her eyes.
"As I said, I'm sorry." She turned on her heels. "I should go."
Tommy was rooted to the spot. Barbara prayed to all deities in the world that he would follow her, swoop her into his arms and declare his love for her. In the same time she dearly hoped he would not but just let her go home, sleep over it and when they would meet the next time it would all be forgotten and they could go on as if this kiss never had happened.
But it had happened. She knew she loved him, she hoped he loved her too. And she hoped that what she had read in his eyes and felt on her lips, felt with her entire body, in fact would be... very real.
She opened the double door of the exit and stepped outside. The fresh air was quite helpful. Behind her the electric door stayed open for a few more moments. Nothing had happened yet. She slowly walked down the entrance stairs.
"Hey, you idiot! She's just kissed her soul into you." Inside the building Lafferty was calling from the door to the Gents where he had come from a few minutes ago. They had not recognised him when they had kissed but he obviously had seen them.
Tommy ignored him. His eyes kept on watching the doors close after Barbara.
" 'n' since you've let her go," Lafferty went on slightly slurring "...follow her at least. You don't deserve her but she obviously adores and loves you. Now go and- oh, bravissimo..." he sarcastically groaned at the end.
Tommy finally had put himself in motion. "Ah, shut up, Lafferty!" he muttered.
There were hurried footsteps on the small stair up to the entrance behind her. She clearly could hear them and knew whom they belonged to but she did not turn because she did not want him to see her flustered face.
"Barbara, please wait!" he called her. She still felt unable to do him the favour but then a hand suddenly caught hers and she was gently but decidedly brought to a halt and turned around to face him. "Barbara!" he murmured in gentle desperation.
But he only looked at her with a similarly bewildered expression she knew was displayed in her face and did nothing else.
"Let me go." she angrily muttered.
"No. Never." Tommy whispered. Dismissing her adverse appearance he embraced her and gently pressed her head against his chest with one hand. He took it as a good sign that Barbara made no real attempt to escape his hug. He stayed silent. After several seconds her body finally relaxed and another few seconds later her arms went around his waist under his coat. It felt wonderful.
With her ear pressed against his chest she even could hear the fast beating of his heart.
"Barbara!" he sighed and placed a kiss on top of her head. It made her shiver. Still she feared the worst. She knew he surely would be telling her in a bit to forget about it all. To her surprise his cheek kept on lying on her hair. "Don't go!" he whispered. "Please don't run away from me."
Barbara only gave a grunting sound into his chest. How they stood there was like heaven and how they had kissed moments before even had been above it but it was surely not meant to be. She knew he would declare he was sorry in a few moments.
Tommy cleared his throat and deeply breathed in before he declared himself. "Just in case I haven't made it clear by now: I actually love you, Barbara. I have for years but I just was too blind for too long and then, I guess, too cowardish to tell you. I always thought you never could feel the same for me and l expected you to laugh me down. Actually I'm still not sure but the kiss you've just given me was the most wonderful thing I've ever experienced, so... "
Tommy let his voice trail off. Barbara still had not said anything. But how could she. Her throat felt constricted by so many emotions of all kinds.
"Barbara?" he carefully asked.
She sobbed.
"Are you crying?"
"No." One of her hands went up to her face and she secretly tried to wipe her tears away. Of course she was crying.
Just to make sure Tommy held her a bit away from him and risked a look. His agitated emotions were openly displayed on his face and the tiny movement it made towards hers told her of his inner fight. He looked as if he resisted the urge to kiss her again. If he only would do it.
"Don't look at me like this, Tommy. I'm..." Barbara shrugged and averting his gaze her eyes darted around. There suddenly was a dangerously tempting fire in his eyes but afraid of what was happening here she was blushing deeply and trembled all over.
"I can't help it." he smiled apologising. "Why do you cry?"
"It's just..." Instantly more tears streamed. "For years I've hoped you'd... I've hoped something like that would happen. And then, when it actually happens, I'm totally sloshed."
Tommy still smiled and caressed away the wetness on her cheek with his thumb.
"You're not sloshed, Barbara." The way he said her name with a new and unknown tenderness in his voice made her shiver. "You're not even drunk. A bit tipsy at the most."
When Barbara started to lopsidedly grin at his words Tommy tenderly pulled her closer into his chest again. Somehow relieved that he did not try to kiss her again she buried her face in his silken shirt.
"I love you too." The words almost were unintelligible with her lips on the fine cloth but it made Tommy happily sob. She clearly felt it under her face.
There was not only hope now. All of a sudden something had shifted. She believed him now. Deep down in her heart she knew his words were very real but she still did not know how to go on from here so, too shy to leave his close embrace, she simply snuggled deeper into his arms. Barbara did not yet dare to look at him. A warm feeling of happiness flooded her entire body.
"Barbara?" Again Tommy pushed her a bit away from him but she still looked anywhere but in his face. Her head hung down and she watched their shoes. A crooked finger under her chin lifted her face. "Please look at me." he quietly pleaded.
Finally their eyes were locked. Her eyes literally screamed at him how deep her love for him truly was. In his eyes she could see how genuine his feelings for her clearly were. Slowly the desire rose and Barbara wanted nothing else but to kiss him again. His face moved a bit closer to hers. Tommy obviously wanted the same.
"Am I allowed to-"
He could not end his sentence. Barbara had raised herself onto the tips of her toes and closed his lips with hers.
Oh, yes, of course - Tommy was very much allowed to kiss her.
...
Her mobile ringing interrupted them. The caller ID was showing a picture of herself with her husband and two toddlers in a public park in London. This was the landline phone calling from home.
"Sorry, Myers, I have to answer that. Your ideas sound very useful. You should discuss them with DS Nkata. Do whatever's necessary, you have my full backing."
With a polite nod she dismissed the young officer who, while leaving his superior's office, still was not sure if she really had listened to what he had said. DI Havers turned on her chair and faced the picture of a deserted park.
"Yes? What have they done now?"
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