a/n: One-shot follow-up to Desina's "Forgetting Something". Ben's POV
Tumble Lightly, Dear House of Cards
"Thank you," Kate said.
"For?"
"For being human." With that, she turned and closed the door behind me, and I walked to my car wondering what the hell she'd meant by that. Add one more layer to the Russian Doll that is Kate Reed. And, of course, I mean my analogy in a much more favorable way that Kate had used it. I am not empty. I, admittedly, have a propensity towards being an ass, but I'm not empty. We have different methods of getting what we want; mine, as I think I've proven tonight, just tend to be a bit more forward. Not that Kate isn't forward. When it comes to getting what is best for her clients, she displays beautiful bulldog tenacity. With a touch of crazy woman. But, where she herself is concerned, it doesn't seem like she has the same drive.
I just reach the front end of my car when I hear a soft noise behind me. I turn to find Kate standing outside of Lauren's front door. Keys in hand, she is slowly locking the doors. I note the worried look on her face and I immediately start moving towards her.
"What's wrong, Katie?"
"Oh." She turns to me, seemingly surprised that I'm still in the driveway.
"Are you sneaking out?" I smirk. She offers me a nervous smile and walks towards me, meeting me halfway along the sidewalk.
"Lauren's not asleep yet," she whispers. "She's in the living room reading." I nod and watch as she turns to look at the house. I again think to offer the couch in my apartment, but, again, think better of it. My self-control around Kate has been slipping. Clearly, or I would not have kissed her on a whim. The last thing I want to do is scare her.
"Do you want to drive around a bit?" I ask. She turns to me, a soft questioning look on her face. I shrug. "We'll take a quick ride. Maybe she'll be asleep by the time we come back." Kate takes a moment to think about it, looking back at the house one more time before agreeing to go with me. I open the passenger door for her, resisting every urge I have to press her against the side of my car and kiss her. After dropping into the driver's seat, I put the key in the ignition and listen for the soft, sexy hum as the engine turns over. I hold my smirk as all that soft sound does is make me think about other kinds of sexy hums I would like to hear.
We are on the road maybe fifteen minutes, driving to nowhere in particular, when I finally dare a glance in Kate's direction. She has found my suit jacket and has wrapped it around her shoulders. Though she is looking out the passenger window, her body is turned slightly in my direction. She looks down, moving her legs to the side as she frowns at the floorboard.
"Hmm."
"Katie?"
"I, uh, I was going to ask if you'd take me to a hotel." Thankfully, at this point we have reached a red-lit intersection. I am pretty sure I would have driven us right off the road with the comment she just made. I turn and look at her, eyebrows raised. It takes her a moment, but she finally looks in my direction, an embarrassed smile creeping across her lips. "I meant drop me off at a hotel." She looks away again. "But I left my purse at Lauren's and I can't pay for a room without the contents of my purse."
"You don't want to go back?" She shakes her head in the negative. The light turns green and make a left-hand turn.
"Can you take me back to Reed and Reed? I promise not to sleep on your couch with my heels on." I can feel the blush start to creep up my cheeks again and as I take a quick look at Kate…I can tell by her mannerisms that she is blushing, too.
"No," I answer.
"Please don't make me go back to Lauren's," she pleads.
"You don't have to." Oh, no. I'm going to do it. I know I shouldn't, but I don't think I can stop the words before they leave my mouth. "You can stay at my place tonight." Damn it.
"Y-your…your place?"
"Yeah. Look, there's no need for you to get a room or sleep on the couch at the office." I stop at another red light and turn to Kate again. "I can take you to Lauren's in the morning for clothes and…" I gesture awkwardly with my hand. "And whatever girly things you may need." Kate laughs softly and nods.
"Okay." It's another fifteen minutes to my apartment. Fifteen minutes that seem to last for two hours. I am mentally making a list of the things I shouldn't say or do. Things that would definitely get me into trouble. But, as I pull into the parking garage, I realize that even if I had had two hours, it would not be enough time to complete that list.
As we take the elevator to the fifth floor, I start to replay our time in my office. The laugh that had me worried yet curious, the brush of her lips against mine, the blatant want in her eyes… Just what was she doing? The way she pulled away when I returned the chaste contact of our lips had me worried that maybe she was just toying with me, flirting in that Kate Reed fashion that I absolutely adore.
But then she whispered my name. "Benny." And…
"Uh, Ben?" I closed the door as Kate nervously played with the rings on her finger. "I don't…uh…I don't have anything to…to sleep in."
"Oh." …Oh! "Um, do you want one of my t-shirts?" Holy hell, I am done for.
"If you don't mind."
"Of course not." I am giving my voice a boatload of credit right now for not wavering and being all squeaky. My brain is not exactly focused on what I'm saying or how I'm saying it because I can't get the thought of Kate wearing only my t-shirt out of my head. "Come on," I say, motioning her to follow me into my room. "You can change in here if you'd like." I really want to kick this teenage-esque mindset in the ass right now. I open the second dresser drawer, full of printed t-shirts. "Pick your poison," I joke. It's really my poison. If I can't handle thinking about Kate in one of my t-shirts, how am I going to handle seeing it?
I leave Kate to change and move to the hall closet for the extra pillow and blankets. I should have just come home after my 'tire thing'. But, nope, I had to go to the office. No, I needed to go. And it was not for the two files I pulled off my desk. No. I'm honestly not sure which files they are. I just grabbed the two on top, thinking it gave me a visible and viable excuse for returning to Reed and Reed.
As I drop heavily on the sofa, I mull over Kate's comment about being human. It bothers me that until today she hasn't seen me as such. Like I said, I can be a jerk sometimes. But I do care about people. I do care about what happens. It dawns on me that even though I've given Kate hard time this week about trying to save the whole world and tilting at windmills, this is probably this first time I've shown any outward concern during a case. Taking Kate's hand after telling her Lea's parole was denied…I knew she was upset and I was trying to be comforting. Bringing her a cup of freshly brewed coffee after we returned to Reed and Reed…
"Ben?" I turn towards the opening of the hallway, my jaw dropping and my mouth going dry. Kate makes her way to the sofa, legs bare from mid-thigh down, the rest of her body covered in an old black and silver Raider's jersey. Though its dimensions are over-sized for her smaller frame, the cloth hangs fittingly over her shoulders and across her chest. My eyes fall to her bare feet and I think her black pumps would complete this look quite nicely. At least until I'm able to find that bottle of peppermint massage oil. There are so many ways this woman could kill me, and I would lay back, willingly accepting any punishment she saw fit to deliver. I lift my eyes to hers as she sits next to me. She's been talking to me and, for the second time tonight, I haven't heard a word spoken. She stops and tilts her head slightly to the side. "Are you all right?" she asks.
"I'm fine," I answer quietly.
"Okay." Kate smiles softly and leans her hands on the portion of cushion between us. "Anyway, thank you." She shifts forward and places a gentle kiss on my cheek. One small movement on my part, and I can claim her lips with my own. Again. I want to. So badly, I want to. But as I turn my head, as I feel our mouths brush ever so delicately, hear the soft intake of breath from Kate, I stand and move to the far side of the room.