A/N: A silly little two-shot I started on during a heatwave this summer, and only recently got around to finishing. I was never planning to post these but Im having a clear out so I'm uploading both parts together. Rated M for the second half. Enjoy.
1.
"God I need to get out of this suit," Casey grumbles, practically flinging her jacket onto the back of the couch in Alex's office. Even with the absence of one layer, she's roasting, her shirt stuck to her with sweat.
Alex, who is usually so calm and collected, looks just as flustered. A bead of sweat is making its way down her forehead, and she's cleaning her glasses for about the sixth time in the last half hour.
"This is ridiculous. How hard can it be to get a functioning air conditioning unit?"
Knotting her hair, and pinning it hopelessly in place, knowing full well it's going to look a mess, Casey sighs, "it's only this half of the building. I guess we aren't exactly a priority."
Alex scoffs at this, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, and blowing out a little huff of air. She's already untucked her thin cotton blouse from her skirt, is debating whether she could get away with tying it into a knot above her stomach. She's not under 25 though, so she decides probably not.
"Do you think somewhere in the vicinity of this office is a walk in freezer? If there is, I would like to reschedule all my appointments to it."
Casey laughs, a deep, breathy sound that instantly makes Alex feel hot in other ways. She swallows it down, tries to ignore it. Instead, she reaches into the mini fridge in the corner of her office, and takes out a jug of cold water, pouring herself a glass, and then Casey.
"At least you have a fridge. All I have is a fan from what I can only imagine is the 1800s considering how it functions," Casey grumbles, sipping her water. It isn't even that cold.
"It's just blowing the hot air around," Alex agrees, gesturing to her own fan, "you should ask for a fridge."
"Yeah right. I'd love to see their faces if I tried. You know there's certain perks to coming back from the dead. Coming back from suspension isn't quite so lavish."
Alex frowns, "I'll buy you one then."
Rolling her eyes, Casey sits down opposite her on the edge of Alex's desk. She tries to cross her legs, to sit the way she usually does, but decides it's too hot for her skin to be touching other areas of skin.
It's too hot for most things.
"God, I think I could be sitting here in my underwear and I'd be too hot," Casey says, stretching her legs out in front of her, "can you believe it's the hottest day in the city in twenty two years and that's when the air conditioning unit chooses to self destruct?"
Alex is distracted. She lost her somewhere around the word 'underwear' and though Alex is a grown adult perfectly capable of concentrating past words far more juvenile than a clothing item's name, the heat has gotten to her. She's staring at the dip of Casey's collarbone where she's unbuttoned as many buttons as she can without being indecent. She's imagining kissing along the bone, scraping her teeth against Casey's pale, soft skin, the salty sweet taste of her, the-
"Alex?"
She snaps out of it with a jolt. Hopefully, her face is flushed enough from the heat that she hasn't given herself away "hmm?"
"I asked if you wanted to get out of here?"
"What? Why?" Alarm bells are ringing. Did she say something out loud? Why is Casey looking at her like that?
Casey smiles, bemused with her. "Because, it's hotter than Satan's asshole in here and I think we've done everything we can do for today."
Alex's mouth forms an "Oh" for a second, before she nods, grabbing her attaché from where she's dumped it on the couch, "yes. Great idea."
But Casey doesn't move, just laughs quietly, shaking her head. Alex thinks she must have heard wrong, or maybe there's something wrong with her appearance, some hint at what she was thinking just moments ago somehow visible on her face.
"Sorry," Casey eventually says, pausing to bite her lip, "it's just... I was beginning to think you weren't quite human, but now I see even Alexandra Cabot isn't impenetrable."
Alex must be staring at her weirdly because Casey suddenly widens her eyes, blushing.
"I just mean, even you can't deal with this heat. Its... comforting."
Alex hasn't quite gotten over the word impenetrable. It's like the heat has turned her brain to mush. Maybe it has. Because, rational, practical, non-mush brain Alex would definitely not be imagining having hot, sweaty, sticky sex with a colleague on the floor of her office. She would definitely be able to handle seeing a flash of lace underneath another woman's blouse and not start wanting to peel the whole shirt off. It has to be the heat. Either that, or she's losing her mind. Those are the only options.
Suddenly, her throat is dry and she can't stop trying to swallow the lump away.
"Alex are you okay?"
Casey looks concerned, which only serves to make things worse.
"I'm fine. I just need to... cool off," she musters, forcing a smile.
Casey rolls her eyes, "don't we all? Getting out of this place will do for starters. Are you coming?"
That might just be the final straw.
"I, think, maybe, I should..."
Casey just stares at her, shock evident on her face, "are you... lost for words?"
"No!" Alex says, exasperated, but it's too late. Casey is chuckling at her, leaning back against the desk. And something about that makes the whole situation worse. "Are you doing this on purpose?" Alex asks, uncharacteristically flustered.
"Am I doing what on purpose?"
She narrows her eyes, but any jest in Casey's tone or expression has melted into what seems to be genuine confusion. Maybe she really does have no idea of the affect she's having on her. Maybe she really isn't doing it on purpose.
"I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm scared you're getting heatstroke, so we really ought to leave," Casey says, still looking somewhat bewildered, "let's get a cold drink in you and see if that helps."
Alex is not so sure that that's such a good idea, but she nods all the same, and allows Casey to lead her outside into the parking lot. The air is thick with heat, and dry, but the temperature still seems to drop slightly. Or perhaps it's just that there's more air circulating, despite the humidity. Either way, it works miracles to clear Alex's head. Better still, as they climb into Casey's sedan, she cranks the air conditioning up, and it's the first cold air either of them have felt in hours, and it's glorious. Alex can't help the soft moan that escapes her lips as she leans back into the cool fabric of the seat. Casey more or less mimics her actions, closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy the change in temperature, having not even started the car yet.
"Maybe we don't even need to go for a drink. Maybe we should just stay here, in the parking lot, making the most of my air conditioning."
Alex glances over at her, taking in her disheveled clothes, the content expression on her face, the little dimple in her left cheek as she smiles. Yes, she thinks, they could stay here forever and she'd be perfectly happy.
But then Casey opens her eyes.
"Are you feeling better?" She teases, looking at her from a strange angle, sloped with her head fully against the head rest.
Alex blushes, looking away from her and at her hands, in her lap.
"Just drive, will you?"
Casey does as she's told.
It's only when they've missed two separate turnings for their regular drinking spot that Alex notices something is wrong. She glances at Casey and sees the corner of her mouth is upturned into the smallest of smiles.
"Where are you taking me, Miss Novak?"
Alex isn't sure if it's the formality of her question, or something else that makes Casey laugh, but she doesn't answer for a good few minutes, presumably concentrating on the road, though her expression suggests otherwise. Recognising the direction, Alex mentally scans through bars in the area, and comes up mostly empty. Unless they want to spend the evening in a non-official gentleman's club, only unofficial in name, being stared at by rich white men. And she can't imagine that's Casey's idea of fun.
"Hey, where are we going?" She pesters, as they stop at traffic lights.
Casey bites her lip, affording her a glance before returning her attention to the road, "I figure your a/c is probably fancier than mine is. And your apartment definitely is," she pauses, hesitation evident on her face, like she isn't quite sure she wants to say anything else. Then: "your bed almost definitely is."
If Alex has anything to say, she can't muster it up in that moment. She thinks maybe she does have heatstroke after all, that maybe she's hallucinating, or having an unscheduled siesta in the front seat. Maybe they never even left her office.
"Or," Casey says, softly, and the look of hesitation has turned into full blown concern, "maybe I misread the situation."
"No," Alex hurriedly blurts. She's never been this incredibly awful at keeping her cards close to her chest. No, her game is definitely off. She's known for being far more suave than this. "No... you definitely have not misread anything. I just didn't expect you to be so... forward."
Her cheeks coloring, Casey shakes her head, "me either. I blame it on the heat."
"It's cool in here," Alex points out. Her heart's hammering in her chest, but she can already feel some of her calm and collected nature coming back to her. Maybe it took Casey making the first move, but she knows what she's doing. She likes to be in control.
"Fine, maybe I've just had enough of you undressing me with your eyes all day."
"Want me to undress you with my hands, instead?" Alex purrs, leaning into her, and placing a gentle hand on her leg, "or maybe my teeth?"
A car behind them beeps it's horn. The lights have turned green.
"We'll see," Casey says, gesturing her apologies to the car behind, and putting her foot on the pedal.
Alex just smiles.