A/N - Ugh...this one is kinda...didn't turn out how I hoped but I still kind of like it. I hope y'all enjoy it anyhow.
Disclaimer: I don't own Perception.
The harsh sunlight burned Daniel's eyes as it shone through the blinds. It fell across his face, and so he rolled over to catch a few more minutes of sleep before Lewicki came to wake him up. He stretched across the bed, surprised when his hand brushed against something.
Daniel opened an eye.
Lying next to him in the bed was a petite shape. He sat up further, staring at the expanse of pale, white skin that wasn't covered by the blanket. It looked smooth as porcelain. Dark, silky hair pooled on the sheets and he could make out the subtle rise and fall of her breathing.
What started out as confusion became slowly rising panic as his foggy mind cleared and he realized who was lying next to him.
What happened last night?
They had closed a case and Kate had once again—predictably—asked him to join her for coffee. As he went to decline, he saw Professor Hathaway cutting across campus towards them, clearly on a mission. Daniel would have rather eat mud than have smarmy Professor Hathaway take Kate out…again.
"Uh…yeah, sure. Just you and me." He said awkwardly.
Hathaway had strutted up and effectively stepped in front of Daniel. "My lovely Kate, I wanted to know if you'd like to go out this evening."
"I'm sorry, I already have plans…with Dr. Peirce."
Hathaway had turned to him with a scowl but leaned forward and said quietly, "I see you want to dip your beak into this delectable flower. As a gentleman, I will step down. Keep an eye out though, because I might just steal her out from underneath you."
If Daniel had been a different man, he surely would have punched Hathaway.
Instead, Daniel just glared as Hathaway as Kate shot him a questioning look. He waved away her question.
She had tried to ask again at the coffee shop but he had distracted her.
"How did you know it was Reagan who murdered Tommy and not Alex?"
Daniel saw the way her expression grew excited. She loved talking about cases. "Alex was so much stronger than Reagan. You'd have to be pretty strong to bash someone's head in with a fifty pound dumbbell." She paused. "But you already knew that. Why won't you tell me what Hathaway said?"
"Because the man's a creep."
"He's not a creep, he's nice."
"Nice people are creepy too." He had returned. "Hathaway acts like you're a prize, something to win. You're not an object, Kate, and I really hate how he objectifies you."
"So you don't intend to win?"
Daniel choked on his tea, a little bit dribbling down his chin. Kate passed him a napkin and he dabbed at it quickly. Kate smirked at his little slip-up.
"I was just kidding, Daniel." She told him, standing to throw out her empty cup.
Daniel could recall mumbling, "Sure…"
After that, he could clearly remember parting ways with Kate after she dropped him home. He went in, put on his sleep clothes, and read a book in bed.
Unless the evening he remembered was all a hallucination…
Daniel scooted from underneath the covers and stood. Slowly, he moved around the bed.
Kate's arms were clutched to her chest and he noticed that she wearing her gold cross around her neck. It settled in the valley between her cleavage. He jerked his eyes back up to her peaceful face. It seemed inappropriate to stare at her body when she was unsuspecting.
"Kate…?" He whispered. She didn't budge. "Kate."
"Professor Peirce?"
Daniel turned to see Lewicki standing in the doorway. He didn't know how he was going to explain away the naked girl in his bed. Instead, the assistance stomped into the room. "What is there something on the comforter? I washed it yesterday."
Daniel blinked a few times.
No one was there.
He had imagined the entire bedmate. Sighing, he said, "Wash it again."
Then he walked out of the room.
Daniel rubbed his head as he walked downstairs. Hallucinating someone who he knew always left a sour taste on his tongue and a guilty conscience behind.
As he reached the bottom step, he heard, "Morning, sleepyhead."
He turned in surprise to see Kate sitting on the couch. She appeared to wearing just once of his shirts. Another hallucination.
"You okay, doctor?" Lewicki asked, coming down the stairs with the wadded up comforter. "Morning, Kate."
A/N - Another story staring Hathaway and his giant ego. Honestly, I ship Hathaway with himself. It's my favorite crack-pairing. It allows him to find love without ever having to appear on Perception again. (If I kidnap the actor, though, he couldn't go back on the show and they'd be forced to kill his character off. Once and for all getting him out of the way.) *Cue maniacal laughter*
(P.S I fixed it...I forgot that Peirce doesn't drink coffee. Oops).
Review please!