A/N: I've been meaning to write something for this wonderful couple for over two months now. I'm quite glad the creative half of my brain finally decided to get things together and give them a scene. The title, for those who are wondering, is borrowed from a scene in the last episode of the first half of Season 2 of Psych.

Close Talking

It had been going on like this for the entire evening. First at dinner, which was embarrassing enough since they had been surrounded by key stock holders and other VIP's that it wouldn't do any good to make a fool of herself in front of, then around the dessert buffet, with all the clinking of silverware on fine china floating somewhere above the pleasant din of jovial conversations, and now here they were, backs to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows that were cool to the touch from the night air outside and surrounded by potted plants taller than herself and the situation hadn't changed at all. A small huff of air escaped her lips in exasperation. "Fujitaka-sensei, if you're going to hold a conversation with someone," she began, leaning unconsciously closer to the man in question in order to make sure her words at least were heard, "you should do your partner the courtesy of letting them hear what you're saying."

"Sonomi-kun, did you just say something? I'm sorry; I couldn't hear you over band." He didn't look terribly sorry to Sonomi, but through a great effort of will she refrained from informing Fujitaka of that fact. That same easy-going, silly smile was gracing his features again, not exactly the expression of a man repenting. He really could be quite an infuriating human being. Did he not realize she hadn't been able to hear a word he had said since dinner had started? "Which leads me to ask," he continued as Sonomi turned back to focus on her champagne glass before she truly lost it and strangled him with the green silk tie she'd picked out for him to wear, "why did you hire a band in the first place?"

Sonomi glanced over at her partner for the evening again, eyes narrowed in annoyance. The irritation caused by his flippant response and calm expression was only compounded by bring up that subject. Yes, she thought, why did the stockholders insist on a band at the annual party? All of her subtle (as well as the not-nearly-so subtle) hints that a small chamber group would be best for the party's atmosphere had been either turned down or just plain ignored at the meeting, though. And now they were stuck with this monstrosity of loud brass, thumping drums, and a singer who at times seemed to be eating the microphone in his attempts to belt out classic tunes that made Sonomi feel older than she liked.

Truth be told, it was giving her a headache. Her only consolation was that at least the stockholders and their plus one's seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"I didn't want to hire them," she grumbled, finishing off her champagne and looking around in vain for a refill. Apparently, she was doomed to suffer through this evening completely sober. Sonomi wondered vaguely which deity she'd offended recently and how she could get back in its good graces before the evening was out.

"What was that, Sonomi-kun? I couldn't hear you again. Maybe you could speak up?"

"I said, I didn't want to -" Sonomi practically growled, her frustration finally bubbling over as she whipped around to face her oh-so-annoying dinner partner. Her words trailed off as her desire to bite Kinomoto Fujitaka's head off died when she found herself practically nose to nose with the offending man. When he had gotten so close, she wasn't sure. She could have sworn that he was a good few feet away from her two seconds ago, but apparently that was not the case. Sonomi gulped but otherwise didn't move. And though she could see his eyes still widened from surprise at her unexpected turn, Fujitaka made no move to stand back either.

She wasn't quite sure when their relationship had turned from rivals to friends, and from friends to something a little more vague than friends but not quite as definite as something else. Of course, he'd never seen her as an enemy or even a rival, but that image of the nefarious Kinomoto-sensei that Daidouji Sonomi had developed as a high school student had persisted for a number of decades before the opportunity came to change it. And at some point, she realized she was actually doing favors for him, putting in good words with the rest of the family and sticking up for his marriage to sweet Nadeshiko-chan when it really was unnecessary. The old her would have felt completely comfortable letting the man sweat things out on his own, but somehow, somehow Kinomoto Fujitaka had gotten under her skin and Sonomi couldn't help but feel a little thrill of pleasure each time she did something unexpectedly nice for him. Things wouldn't have been half as bad, however, if she hadn't realized one night when they were eating dinner, just the two of them in her kitchen that seemed far emptier now that Tomoyo was occupied with high school theatre club activities until all hours, that just maybe Fujitaka felt a similar tingle of weightlessness run along his spine when he was around her. But she had realized it, had even confirmed it when he blushed slightly and stammered adorably as she leaned in just a little closer than was socially accepted for people who were 'just friends' in order to wipe some invisible spot off his shirt.

Since that night, though, things had been strange between the two of them. Not strained, but there was a hint of awkwardness in the air that was uncharacteristic of either individual. Sonomi wasn't entirely sure she felt comfortable inviting him as her unofficial date to the yearly company and stockholder party, but it had been settled long before that night at her house and going back on things would just be tactless and cowardly on her part. As much as she was frightened by the prospect of their relationship heading someplace beyond the realm of friendship, they were friends before all else and Daidouji Sonomi did not disrespect those she counted as friends. And so, here they both were, holding drink glasses and failing to make their attempts at polite conversation heard over the clamor of the guests and the band.

Until now. Sonomi was fairly sure there was no way she could possibly miss any word from his mouth at this point, not when his breath tinged with the sweet yet firey, bitter taste of expensive alcohol washed warmly over her mouth every time he exhaled.

"It wasn't my idea to hire a band," she finally managed, picking up the conversation roughly where it had left off. Part of her brain was demanding her immediate retreat from her current position, but it was overridden by the part that was guiltily enjoying the immense proximity of a very attractive man. Absently, she wondered why her hand seemed to rest more comfortably just above his hip than it did at her side.

"Oh? But I thought Sonomi-kun always got her way in such matters." He was smiling a knowing, laughing smile now and, so help her, Daidouji Sonomi found it attractive. The her of twenty years ago would have slapped the present her upside the head for such thoughts, but she honestly couldn't help it. Not when his face was only a handbreadth away from her own and when she tilted her head just right their noses would brush.

Sonomi smiled then in return, a dangerous smile that was known to send office peons fleeing in fear of their jobs. "Usually, yes." But apparently Fujitaka-sensei felt no such fear, especially since his hand had moved to a position on her waist. She could feel the warmth from his palm spreading through the thin, sleek fabric of her evening gown. "But this time it was in my best interest if I yielded to the majority opinion."

"Sonomi-kun is quite an astute businesswoman." She wasn't sure, but it felt like his mouth was a tad closer than before. Whether it was or not, she could at least hear him properly, which was a delightful change of pace from the rest of the evening thus far.

"You don't get to where I am by being a complete fool." As pleased as she was that she could finally hear what her dinner partner had to say, though, she had to admit she was becoming more than a little distracted by their current situation. She was certain that she and Fujitaka were closer now; she could feel her lips lightly brush his when she spoke and the warm, jumpy, feather-light feeling pooling in her stomach at the moment was enough make her completely lose her concentration.

"Are you… alright with this?" Fujitaka asked after a short pause. She didn't have to ask what 'this' was, and he didn't bother to clarify. Somehow his other hand had taken up a position on the small of her back and Sonomi would have been lying if she said it didn't make that molten feeling in her stomach spread upwards a little towards her chest.

She rolled her eyes in response to the question, closing the distance between them just a little more. "Of course. If I wasn't, you'd know. In fact…" She wasn't sure where she found the nerve, but one moment they were talking and the next she found her lips more favorably occupied. "Conversation is overrated anyways," she whispered, pulling back enough to allow her to see the expression in Fujitaka's eyes. They were soft, all warm and crinkled in the corners slightly because of the content smile he now wore.

"Did I ever tell you this band was a stroke of genius?" he grinned, never taking his eyes off the woman in front of him even as he discretely maneuvered them behind some of the overlarge fronds of the plants.

Sonomi grinned, all previous irritation forgotten. For the present, at least. "I have my moments."

-FIN-