I've rated this T, but it's possibly bordering on M, I'm not too sure.
I think it'll probably go up in rating at somepoint anyway.
I own nothing at all.
"How the hell would you know what it takes to keep a relationship going? A couple of weeks max and you've sent them running for the hills!"
Robbie winced into his pint as he remembered his words from earlier and the flash of hurt it had caused to cross Jackie's face before she schooled her face back into an expressionless mask.
He'd apologized of course, and she'd accepted it, but unlike their usual apology routine their relationship had yet to return to normal and so things remained strained between them. So strained in fact that when invited to the pub, Jackie had declined, choosing instead to head home.
His frown deepened as Stuart sank down into the seat next to him, nudging a whisky in Burke's direction before taking a large swig of his own cider. "Wonder what's got into Jackie?" he mused out loud.
"What do you mean?" Burke asked.
"Well it's not like her to turn down a drink," Stuart pointed out. "Plus she snapped at me earlier."
"Maybe you deserved it," Robbie growled.
"I only asked a simple question," he protested in reply.
Burke merely shrugged; he didn't particularly go in for analysing his team's private lives as long as it didn't interfere with the job at hand. "Maybe she just didn't want to spend yet another evening in this charming establishment." He nodded his head towards the faded patterned wallpaper as proof of point, before leaning back in his chair, ending the conversation as far as he was concerned.
Stuart's nose crinkled, and he shook his head before turning to Robbie and asking jokingly, "You didn't say anything to her, did you? I know the effect you can have."
Letting out an annoyed breath, Robbie muttered, "Just leave it alone."
Stuart's eyes widened. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," he hissed. "Anyway I've already apologized, she's just being stubborn."
"It's not like her to hold a grudge."
Robbie drained his pint and stood up abruptly. "Going to the bar," he informed them shortly.
"Get another round in then," Burke told him.
Giving yet another grumble, Robbie stomped to the bar. Stuart watched him warily. "So what do you think he did? It must have been bad if she's avoiding him to this extent.
Burke gave an irritated sigh, and leaning forward patted Stuart's shoulder, telling him, "If I were you, son, I wouldn't get involved. Let the pair of them fight it out amongst themselves." He took another gulp of his drink. "Like a pair o' bloody weans sometimes," he muttered under his breath.
"Yeah but-"
"Stuart, leave it," he breathed out. "They willnae thank you for it, and anyway they'll sort it out soon enough."
"What if they don't?"
"They have to." Burke shrugged casually. In all honesty he wasn't even slightly concerned about this tiff, and as long as it stayed out of the workplace he'd remain so. His eyes narrowed as Robbie slammed the whisky he'd requested down in front of him and dropped back into his own seat, draining his own pint yet again. Then again he decided he really didn't want to spend the night looking across at Robbie's scowling face. "A smile wouldn't kill you."
"That's rich, coming from you," he scoffed in reply.
"Watch it," Burke warned him.
He didn't reply and merely slumped back in his seat again to continue with his self appointed task of drinking himself into oblivion.
A little over an hour later, Stuart gave a yawn and glanced at his watch. "I'm going to go."
Burke looked down at the dregs left in his glass and nodded. "Aye, think I'll call it a night too." He glanced over at Robbie. "And you?" he prompted.
"Yeah," he mumbled in reply as he got slightly unsteadily to his feet.
Burke grabbed his jacket in an attempt to steady him. "Think we'll put you in the first taxi."
Robbie batted him away, and the three men made their way out of the pub. Once outside Robbie dug his hands into his pockets and tilted his head upwards, glaring at the night's sky. He couldn't understand why she hadn't just let it go, and in all honesty it was irritating the hell out of him that she just wouldn't let it slide. He hated when she wouldn't speak to him, it made him feel edgy and out of sorts.
His fingers enclosed around the packet of cigarettes he kept on him just in case. He pulled them out of his pocket and yanked one out impatiently as he fumbled for his lighter all to no avail. He glanced hopefully in Stuart's direction. "You got a light?"
"Nope, and anyway here comes a taxi, you're going to have to wait."
"Fine," He muttered, shoving the packet back into his pocket and flicking away the cigarette. "I am capable of making my own way home," he snapped.
"Yeah well I'd prefer it if you did actually turn up for work tomorrow," Burke told him as he shoved him into the taxi and told the driver his address.
As the door shut and the taxi began to pull away, he leaned forward, telling the driver, "Actually I want you to take me somewhere else."
The man shrugged. "No skin off my nose as long as you pay me."
"You don't need to worry on that score, mate,"
"I've heard that one before," the man laughed bitterly. "So where are we going then?"
Robbie muttered Jackie's address and leaned back in his seat again. He'd had enough, was already fed up with the cold shoulder and didn't want to put up with another day of it tomorrow. He was sorting this out tonight. He wasn't going to let this lie any longer.
Jackie scowled into her wine glass, she was more than halfway through her second bottle and she still didn't feel any better. Sighing, she slumped back onto the sofa, bringing her legs up onto the cushion and tried to focus on the film she'd put on; it didn't work.
Groaning, she resisted the urge to kick something. She was still so angry at Robbie for his earlier comment, and she wasn't even sure why it was grating on her so much, he let his mouth run away with him all the time and he had apologized.
She took another sip of her drink. She might not know why, but his remark had stung a lot more than she'd expected, maybe it was because it was on the heels of yet another failed relationship – not that anyone had known about that – or maybe it was because...She shook her head, she actually didn't have a clue as to why it had hurt so much. What was clear however was that the damn man should learn to think before he opened his bloody mouth.
Running a finger lazily around the rim of her glass, she considered his earlier apology, he had meant it, and she didn't doubt that. It was just that the words alone didn't heal the hurt he'd caused, and she was tired of him just thinking that an apology would solve everything and it would all go back to the way it was before.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her doorbell being pressed insistently, over and over again. Getting to her feet, she let out an annoyed sigh and headed towards the front door. She wasn't overly surprised to find a drunk and irritated Robbie standing in front of her, his finger still pressed down on the damn doorbell. "You're going to break that," she told him coldly.
"Need to talk to you."
"It's late, you can wait until tomorrow."
"No. I can't," he replied shortly as he nudged his shoulder into the gap between her and the open doorway, hedging his way in.
She let him slide past her, into the hallway, but her glare didn't abate. She folded her arms across herself. "So what do you want?" she asked as she locked the door shut.
He swung round to face her. "I want to know what your problem is."
"My problem?" Jackie echoed in disbelief. "You insult me but I'm the one with the problem, that's unbelievable, even for you."
"I apologized for that," Robbie groaned, pushing an irate hand through already dishevelled hair.
"So what the world's alright again because you managed to utter the word sorry," Jackie scoffed. "It's just not as simple as that, Robbie."
Robbie felt his blood boil. "This is exactly what I mean!" He snapped, his finger pointing at her accusingly. "You shut everyone out, the minute they get too close you put up the barriers. You're like an ice queen, it's no fucking wonder you're divorced and still single."
Jackie's eyes widened, she drew in a deep breath before hitting back at him. "I can't believe that you have the nerve to stand there and give me relationship advice. You! The man who's shagged his way around Glasgow, you wouldn't know a committed relationship if it bit you on the arse. At least I try to make things work; you're too much of a coward to even attempt it, so instead you bar hop taking home one vapid girl after another so that you don't have to face up to the fact that you're on the wrong side of forty and completely alone!"
"You looked in a mirror recently?" he shot back. "You're in exactly the same boat."
"Oh get out!"
"No!"
"Why not? Hmmm, you got anymore pearls of wisdom you're dying to share with me?"
"I came here to fix things!" He yelled back at her.
"Well it's not working!"
He stalked forward until she was backed up against the wall. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"
"Why can you never think before you speak?"
They stared at each other, their argument having reached somewhat of an impasse, neither was about to apologize and yet they had run out of accusations to throw at each other. Finally Jackie sighed. "Go home, Robbie," she snapped, still feeling irritated beyond belief.
He shook his head. "No," he repeated, his voice quieter this time. He hadn't come here with the intention of making things worse and he definitely didn't want to leave things this way.
"Robbie," she sighed, giving his chest a soft shove, her face tilting upwards, her eyes flashing in exasperation.
He wasn't exactly sure what prompted his next move; it wasn't planned that was for sure, all he knew was that he suddenly found his hands tangling into her brown hair, pulling her face forwards, his lips pressing against hers.
She let out a small squeal of surprise, but let her hands move to cup his face regardless, encouraging him onwards, lips relaxing as she began to kiss him back; hard. A gasp escaped her as he pushed her back against the wall, his fingers pulling insistently at the buttons of her shirt. She knew she should stop this now before it went any further, but when his lips trailed a damp path down her neck, nipping at her pulse point, all coherent thought went very swiftly out of the window.
Pulling his lips back up to hers, she kissed him again, only vaguely aware of the fact that her shirt was now hanging open. Her back arched as his hand cupped her breast, his thumb brushing across the nipple, causing it to tighten even through the material of her bra.
When he wrenched the bra cup to one side she made a vague sound of protest that died when his mouth drew her in and traced the outline of her nipple with his tongue. Her fingers tightened into his shoulders, one hand moving downwards to cup him through his trousers, causing his hips to buck. She fumbled with his belt buckle, smiling triumphantly when it came undone.
His hands slid to the back of her thighs, pulling her legs up, causing her to wrap her arms around his neck in an effort to stop from toppling sideways. He kissed her; he seemed to be finding himself being drawn back to her lips time and time again. While one hand supported them against the wall he undid her trousers, fingers pulling at her underwear until he felt them tear and give away.
Her hand slipped past his gaping shirt, fingers curling around the bare skin of his sweat slicked shoulder, a moan slipping from her lips as he thrust into her without warning, her nails biting into his skin as he began to move.
It was fast and furious, the culmination of years of self denial and the tension from their earlier argument. Her legs tightened around his waist, urging him on.
He could hear her breathing become more erratic, feel her muscles clench around him. He groaned against her neck, his eyes opening to look at her, noting the flush that had spread across her pale skin. She bit down on his shoulder and with one last thrust he growled her name and spilled himself inside her. It was the last iota of sensation she needed and she toppled over the edge with him, a hoarse cry escaping from her throat.
For a moment they stayed like that, her forehead pressed against his cheek as they came down from their combined high. After a few long minutes had passed, he lowered her to the ground, slipping out of her, causing Jackie to bite down on her lip to hold back a moan.
Her eyes finally opened to find Robbie watching her intently, almost warily, while in her peripheral vision she could see the clothes they'd removed, scattered across the floor. She honestly had no idea what to say, she just didn't do things like this. She felt his fingers gently pull her bra back into place. "Jackie?" he echoed quietly.
Her head jerked back up as she attempted to pull what clothing she could back to rights until she felt adequately covered. She watched as he redid his trousers and re-buttoned his shirt. "I really do think you should go this time," she told him quietly.
"Yeah," he nodded his agreement. He wasn't sure what he could do or say, if anything, to make this less awkward. He hadn't expected this to happen, and he hadn't expected it to be so explosive. Even now part of him wanted more, and if it had been anyone else he'd be moving things into the bedroom for part two. As it was though, he wasn't about to push things any further. Kneeling down, he grabbed his suit jacket from the floor and shrugged it on.
"I'll call you a taxi," she muttered, heading towards her living room.
His hand reached out and gripped her arm gently, stilling her. "I can walk," he told her.
Jackie shook her head. "You shouldn't, it'll take you ages."
"Doesn't matter," he assured her.
"Fine," she gave an awkward nod. "You can see yourself out."
She waited until she heard her front door shut before she headed back into the hallway to double check that the door was properly shut and to pick up the remnants of her clothes. Discarding them quickly she leaned back against her wall, crossing her arms across her chest she mumbled, "Oh, Jackie what have you got yourself into."