A cute Lassiet songfic featuring Clay Walker's You're Beginning To Get To Me. Fluff, fluff, fluff. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Not mine!
PsychPsychPsychPsych
One-thirty a.m.
Carlton Lassiter sighed as he stared at the alarm clock next to his bed. The glowing red indicated that it was half past one, and he had to be up at five. The problem was he'd been lying awake in his bed practically since he'd laid down at eleven. At this rate, he wasn't going to get any sleep, not that he was unaccustomed to that. In fact, he was quite used to sleepless nights and dragging himself into work the next day.
A small smile crept along his face. Even if he would never admit it out loud, lately his sleepless nights could be attributed to something else entirely different from work. He rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. Two weeks ago, he had begun dating someone that he couldn't get enough of. Even before she had become a real romantic option for him, she had been the source of many restless nights.
Another fifteen minutes passed before he finally reached out and grabbed his cell phone. She would probably be asleep and pissed with him for waking her up, but he wanted to hear her voice. So he dialed her number, then waited patiently for her to answer. She picked up after two rings, her voice sleepy.
"Carlton? What's wrong?"
"Absolutely nothing." He sat up in his bed, relishing the sound of her sleep-filled voice.
"Do we have a case?"
"No."
There was an annoyed sigh on her end, and he only felt a brief twinge of guilt for waking her up. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"
"Maybe. But I mostly wanted to hear your voice." He ran his fingers over his sheets. "I'm sorry for waking you up."
He heard her shift in her bed. "It's okay. But if it's okay with you, I'm going back to sleep now. We have to be up in a few hours."
Lassiter chuckled. "You're right."
"I know I am. But next time, don't call." There was a pause. "Be at the door. Naked."
He stared at the phone after she ended the call, and his smile grew even wider. With a chuckle, he set the phone on his nightstand. Then he curled up on his side, making a mental note to buy roses in the morning.
I can't sleep at all
I'm making late night calls
Just to talk to you
And hear your voice again
At six a.m., Lassiter's alarm began screaming in his ear. He groaned and slammed his hand against it, then reluctantly rolled out of bed. Normally a night of poor sleep resulted in a bad morning, but he was smiling as he changed and went for his normal morning run.
On the way back from his run, he jogged into what was quickly becoming his favorite flower shop. He hadn't bought flowers for a woman since he was with Victoria, but in the past couple of weeks, he was sure he had spent hundreds of dollars on flowers alone.
The bell rang overhead as he heard, "Mr. Carlton! Good morning." The flower shop staff now knew him by name because he stopped in at least every other day for flowers. The kinds of flowers always varied, but it was always at least half a dozen, with the same message on the card.
I would not wish any companion in the world but you.
It was a quote from Shakespeare, The Tempest, to be precise. It struck a deep chord with him, and he was sure it did with her as well. He looked around at the dozens of varieties of flowers, taking his time before he finally settled on purple lilacs. He had looked them up the night before, and they symbolized the first emotions of love. He smiled and moved to the counter, where Rosa was waiting for him.
"What did you pick today, Carlton?"
"A dozen of the purple lilacs." He pushed his damp hair back and didn't miss the way that the young woman blushed.
"A fine choice. They symbolize the beginning stages of love."
"That's what I heard." He pulled his wallet out. "The card should read-"
"'I would not wish any companion in the world but you' right?" She beamed at him.
"Right. And deliver them to-"
"The Santa Barbara Police Department."
"Yes." Shaking his head slightly, he paid for the flowers and headed back out of the flower shop to continue his jog.
That flower shop on Main
Knows me by my first name
And how I want the card to read
And where I want the roses sent
Two hours later, after finishing his jog and a brief shower, Lassiter whistled to himself as he carried two coffees and a bag containing a cherry Danish into the precinct. Usually Juliet bought coffee for him, but today he decided he would treat her. She deserved it after all she had to put up with from him. He was a good cop, a great one even, but he wasn't always a great partner or friend.
Juliet wasn't at her desk yet, so he placed the Danish and her coffee beside her computer monitor. Then he sat down in his own chair and opened a file.
Fifteen minutes later, the flowers were delivered to her desk. Lassiter was glad; he wanted them to get there before she did.
As always, Juliet arrived right at nine, and she looked absolutely stunning to Lassiter. He watched discreetly as she came to their desks, and he knew the exact moment that she saw the flowers, because her eyes lit up and her red lips curved in a sweet smile. He loved that smile, and maybe that was why he sent her flowers almost every morning, even though it was hugely impractical. It was worth it just to see that smile.
Reaching out, Juliet touched the flowers. "Beautiful," she whispered.
He couldn't help noting that Juliet always seemed the most pleased with flowers that held a special meaning. A single red rose meant fidelity, yellow flowers meant friendship… He was quickly realizing quality meant a lot more to Juliet than quantity. She wasn't flashy, and a dozen roses just didn't fit her.
Sitting down in her chair, Juliet flashed him a brilliant smile. He could read the message in her blue eyes.
Thank you.
He just smiled and resumed reading the file in front of him.
After a relatively easy day at work, Lassiter went home, intending to spend some quality time with his guns and civil war books. It was rare that he was actually able to leave work on time, and he planned to take full advantage of it.
He wasn't home ten minutes when his doorbell rang. He had already removed his shoes and jacket, as well as his holster. But he had a sense for these things, and he knew that he wasn't in danger. His thoughts were confirmed when he heard a soft, feminine voice called through the door.
"Carlton? It's me."
A ridiculous smile appeared on his face as he made his way to the door and opened it. Juliet was standing there, looking even more breathtaking than normal in a light summer dress and white sandals. Her hair was down in loose curls around her shoulders, and she had removed any makeup. He had told her countless times that she was remarkable in any form, but she didn't need any makeup of any kind. She was also wearing a light perfume that reminded him of fresh flowers and mild strawberries. It was a nice change from her usual peaches and vanilla (not that he disliked that). Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Thank you for the flowers," she murmured. Then she leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
His arms went around her slender waist, gently drawing her closer to him. Then he deepened the sweet kiss as he pulled her further into his home and closed the door with his foot.
I'm not saying I'm in love
I'd admit it if I was
I'm just saying I believe
You're beginning to get to me
The way I need you all the time
The way you hold this heart of mine
I think it's time that I concede
You're beginning to get to me
Carlton Lassiter was not a sentimental man, but the picture hanging from his review mirror would suggest otherwise. The picture was of Juliet, beaming and wearing dark sunglasses. He was certain that she was just a little crazy for even considering a relationship with him, but he thanked whatever forces had brought them together for her. He would never know what he had done to deserve her or what she saw in him, but what he did know was he was absolutely crazy about her. What red-blooded man wouldn't be?
Smiling, he touched the picture with a fingertip. Then he started his Ford Fusion and pulled out onto the road.
He had work to do.
Inevitably they were called out of the station on a case, and as usual, Juliet followed Lassiter to his car. He loved to drive and her Bug was an uncomfortable fit for him.
They both climbed into his Ford Fusion, and as Lassiter reached for his seatbelt, he noticed Juliet's gaze linger on the picture dangling from his review mirror.
Juliet finally glanced at him. "That picture is terrible. I should have destroyed it."
He just laughed as he grasped the steering wheel.
"Too late."
Got your picture up
On the dash of my new truck
So I can have you with me
On every road I'm on
"Chinese or pizza?"
Lassiter had to smile as he held Juliet in his arms. They were sitting on his couch, snuggled together as some generic medical show droned on the T.V. This had become a routine of sorts for them. They would leave the department separately, and either she would come to his home or he would drive to hers. If she came to his home, she would stay the night and change at the gym before going into work the next morning. If he went to hers, he would make her dinner and stay for a while before reluctantly going to his own home. "Chinese sounds good," he finally replied, knowing she had an affinity for egg rolls, even though he wasn't particularly fond of them.
Retrieving her cell phone, Juliet called the closest Chinese restaurant that delivered and placed their order. Then she dropped the phone and snuggled deeper into his arms, sighing happily.
He kissed her head and ran a hand lightly up and down her arm. He didn't dare let himself believe he might really be head over heels in love with her, but the more time he spent with her, the deeper his feelings ran. She was so incredibly easy to care about. How could he not fall so hopelessly in love with her?
Because the last time he had fallen for someone, he had gotten his heart crushed in the process. And while he knew Juliet would never intentionally hurt him, that fear still persisted at the back of his mind. His arms tightened around her, as though the very act of holding her could keep all of his pain and terror at bay.
And it was beginning to work.
Sunday morning, Juliet was the first one out of bed. Lassiter watched as she pulled on one of his shirts and ran a brush through her hair. "Hey."
She turned and smiled at him. "Hey, yourself."
"Come here."
Sashaying over to him, she sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled. "What do you want?"
"This." Grabbing her, he pulled her down onto the mattress, ignoring her laughter-laced protests. Then he covered his mouth with hers.
Juliet groaned and pulled away. "No. I have terrible morning breath." Shaking her head, she left the bed and hurried into the bathroom.
Lassiter just smiled and waited patiently for her to return. What she didn't realize was he didn't care about her morning breath. She was absolutely stunning, even with bed hair and no makeup. In fact, seeing her first thing in the morning was something he was quickly realizing he needed every day for the rest of his life.
Babe, if what I feel
Is just the tip of what I will
I can only guess what I'll be like
When I'm completely gone
Monday morning, they were back at work. And as usual, there was a new floral arrangement on Juliet's desk. All the other women in the department were envious and some even insisted it was Shawn Spencer's way of trying to win her back. But Lassiter knew the truth. Spencer had screwed up the best thing he'd ever had, allowing Lassiter to move in and find the final piece of the puzzle that completed his life.
Juliet.
Today's flower was honeysuckle, a flower symbolizing devoted affection. He smiled as Juliet lightly touched the flowers.
"Good morning, O'Hara," he greeted in his usual gruff manner.
"Carlton." Juliet sat down at her desk and powered up her computer. "Do we have a case?"
"Not yet. I was just-"
"Oh, my goodness!" Leslie from booking approached their desks with a wide smile. "Those flowers are stunning, Juliet!"
Juliet smiled sweetly. "Aren't they? They're honeysuckle."
Leslie beamed. "Someone must really love you." She was one of the more outspoken females who had been noticing the near-daily arrival of fresh flowers on Juliet O'Hara's desk.
"You think so?"
"Oh, yes. Honeysuckle flowers mean bonds of love. You're a lucky girl, Juliet. He's a keeper." She winked at Juliet before she retreated from the desks.
Lassiter barely looked up from the file on his desk, but he could practically feel Juliet's happiness radiating off of her.
Then he had an idea…
I'm not saying I'm in love
I'd admit it if I was
I'm just saying I believe
You're beginning to get to me
The way I need you all the time
The way you hold this heart of mine
I think it's time that I concede
You're beginning to get to me
Friday morning, Juliet came in right on time as usual. And at her desk, there was a breathtaking floral arrangement waiting for her. She glanced around. Lassiter was nowhere to be seen. A small smile crept across her face as she came closer to her desk. The flowers were a mixture of red and yellow tulips and blue violets. She lightly fingered the petal of one of the violets, a look of awe on her face.
"Undying love, hopeless love, and faithfulness," a familiar voice rumbled, catching Juliet unaware. She turned around to see her partner standing behind her, his hands behind his back.
"They're beautiful," she said breathlessly. No one else was in the room, so she leaned up and lightly kissed his lips.
He pulled back and produced a single viscaria. "Juliet, these past few weeks have been… indescribable. And you should know…"
Juliet watched him expectantly, her eyes growing misty.
"…you should know I'm… Well, I'm crazy about you." He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "And I think…"
"I love you, Carlton," Juliet suddenly blurted out. A moment later, her eyes grew wide as she realized what she had said out loud.
His cerulean eyes also widened. "You do?"
"Of course I do." She reached out and took the viscaria out of his hands. "An invitation to dance, right?"
"Yes," he managed, still reeling with disbelief that she could actually love him.
"Good." She turned around and looked at the tulips on her desk. A moment later, a pair of strong arms slipped around her waist.
Not particularly caring if anyone saw them, Lassiter held her tight and whispered into her ear. "I love you, too, Juliet." He squeezed her gently, then let her go and sat down at his desk. Both of their faces were flushed.
Taking her own seat, Juliet looked at her flowers again and smiled.
"Your place tonight, Carlton?"
I'm not saying I'm in love
I'd admit it if I was
I'm just saying I believe
You're beginning to get to me
The way I need you all the time
The way you hold this heart of mine
I think it's time that I concede
You're beginning to get to me
The End.
A/N: Hehehe, fluff. The quote, I would not wish any companion in the world but you, is from Shakespeare's The Tempest. I thought it would be quite fitting for our boy. I also researched each and every flower used in this. And I can totally see it happening. Hehe. Thanks for reading, and please review!