Disclaimer: I own nothing, it's just for fun
Note: Just a bit of Mattesha fluff, no pretence of plot whatsoever :p
New Faces, New Start
Matt tried to bite back the grimace as he listened to Jacob Thorne go over the latest notes of the suspect of an armed robbery and there had to be a careful review with the CPS to decide if there was a strong enough case for the prosecutor to go ahead with a trial. It wasn't the words coming out of James Steel's replacement but the way that he looked at his junior prosecutor that was causing the young detective to be disgruntled.
The dark eyes of Jacob would flicker between those of Matt Devlin and Ronnie Brooks but every so often, they would alight on Alesha and linger on her features for what in Matt's opinion was a moment or two longer than necessary.
Matt had to concentrate harder than usual to keep his mind on the task in hand but each time he noticed the lingering glance and even worse, the way Alesha's dark eyes met those of her superior with equal attention, Matt felt his blood rise by a degree or two.
Ronnie kept his own expression impassive as he listened to the Crown Prosecutors discuss various details of the case that the detectives were trying to build against their prime suspect. Nevertheless, he was not ignorant of the curious triangle that was developing before his very eyes between the three younger people in the room with him.
He considered Matt to be like the son he never had and he was also very protective over Alesha, now even more so since she had lost not only the mentor she so admired but also George who ran the CPS with a stern objectivity and iron fist which hid a kindly demeanour that was a central part of his personality.
She hadn't really said much about how was managing without them, preferring to concentrate on the here and now with her new superiors. Indeed, whenever there was any mention of James and George, a defensive look would appear in her normally open and friendly eyes and her entire body language strongly hinted that she would rather not talk about it.
Pardoning the pun, as far as Ronnie was concerned, the jury was still out on his opinion of Jacob. He thought the prosecutor was pleasant enough and clearly good at his job for him to be in the position he now held. However, he still hadn't quite gotten used to not seeing his old friends whenever he needed to consult with them.
When the consultation between police and barristers was finally finished, Matt felt like his head might burst and he briefly pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes after he had let the other three leave the room before him. He was dog-tired and needed a holiday. He and Ronnie had been working flat-out for months now where just as soon as they thought they had tied up one case and would get some respite, another case would fall into their laps and the pressure would be on them again to get the right results.
To make matters worse, Matt found that his feelings for Alesha had grown almost without him realising and now that he thought that another man was showing interest in her, it seemed that the young woman was responding to the attentions of this newcomer.
"Are you alright?" The soft concern-filled tone caused Matt to open his eyes and look in the direction of the voice.
Alesha was standing just inside the doorway. Ronnie and Jacob had continued talking as they departed but when she had turned and expected to find Matt, there was nobody there and so she made her way back to find him looking as if he were in some discomfort.
Matt gave her a little reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired is all. Best get going, eh?" He began walking towards the door but was stopped by Alesha placing a slim hand lightly on his arm.
"Are you sure?" Her expression showed some worry. "How are you? I haven't seen you properly for a while." There was a pause before she seemed to remember to add, "Ronnie too."
"Ronnie's fine as well." Matt's blue gaze searched Alesha's face. "So what's he like?" His head jerked to direction of open doorway.
She didn't need to ask who he was talking about. "Jacob's good. It's just a matter of getting used to each other, I suppose." Alesha was positive but it was clear the she had to stop herself from adding that she would rather have James back.
"I think he likes you a lot." Matt tried to keep his tone light but Alesha saw the tightness around his eyes and corners of his mouth.
"Hmm." She pondered the empty space before turning back to Matt and giving a shrug. "Maybe. Jealous, are you?" Alesha teased her friend but there was no small part of her that genuinely did want him to be jealous. She wanted to know that there might be some chance that her attraction to him could be reciprocated. Lately, she had been having more than a few sleepless nights thinking about him and just recalling the dreams she had about him made her blush and feel hot under the collar.
Matt cleared his throat, unsure of how to reply. He didn't want to risk chasing Alesha away if he admitted feeling more than platonic towards her but he also would prefer not to see Jacob pursuing her as if he stood a chance. "I…uh…that is…"
In those few moments when Matt tried to gather his thoughts into some semblance of order, Alesha Phillips found what she needed to know in the expressions that made themselves clear on his handsome boyish features. She put him out of his misery.
"Matt, I like Jacob but not like that." Alesha took the brave step of gently placing her hand on Matt's cheek. "Why would I when the person I do like in that way is right in front of me?" She nervously bit her lower lip as she waited for her words to sink in.
Matt's eyes lit up when his brain registered her meaning. "You mean that?" His hand moved to cover hers.
Alesha leaned up and placed a firm kiss on Matt's lips before drawing back and regarding him with a cheeky grin. "What do you think?"
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