A weird little oneshot that came out of some extra time. I hope you enjoy!
Do Not Cross
Scotty doesn't believe in fate.
He doesn't think people meet their soul mates when the stars align properly, or that love is decided by some higher power. People say it's close minded. He says it's just the truth.
Still, that doesn't stop him from feeling like it was more than a coincidence when he turns around at the door of the squad room and finds Lilly settling back into her desk. It doesn't stop his heart from kicking up a notch either.
Didn't she go home? It's so late. He glances at his watch. Almost midnight, he should get home before the druggies take over the street.
He walks back toward her anyway, because if fate said so, then…
"Hey Lil." He tries to sound casual, as if being around Lilly was ever nothing more than casual.
She looks up, and immediately Scotty can tell from the look in her eyes that she's about to ask him what in the hell he's doing here so late. Never mind the fact that she's settling into her desk like it's morning. He knows he'll answer her.
"What are you still doing here?" She asks.
There it is.
Scotty shrugs and decides not to shroud the truth. "Broke up with Frankie."
That's not the real reason he didn't get on that elevator and head home. She's the reason. But she doesn't know that and Scotty doesn't feel like it's the right time to clue her in.
It's always been that way between them. The best of friends with the possibility of something more.
Lilly suppresses a smile. She's never been a jealous woman. But seeing him with that woman from downstairs almost made the green eyed monster within her stir.
Damn it. No. It didn't. She was never jealous of Frankie.
"Sorry." She mutters quickly.
But she isn't. Scotty can tell by the way the corners of her lips turn up in a small smile and her shoulders relax a little. As much as she's trying to hide it, she's glad he's single again.
"Are you really sorry?" He asks, because he sure isn't. It's clearer than ever really. She should be his, and he - hers.
"What?" She demands, looking up to find him sitting on her desk. He's leaning in close. Much too close for two coworkers. Then again, when have they ever been just two coworkers?
She feels an odd feeling inside her chest. It feels sort of like… no. That feeling she was thinking she may be feeling - it was just sleep deprivation. Yes, she needed to sleep more. She wasn't having feelings for her partner. Sleep deprivation.
Having established that, Lilly looks up to find Scotty still talking, apparently unaware of her fiercely beating heart.
"…you just don't seem all that sorry is all." Scotty smirks. He doesn't know what's making him careless like this. "Am I right?"
She counters his question with one of her own. "Why d'you break up with her?"
"She ain't you." He takes careless to a whole new level.
Lilly's breath catches in her throat. Does he mean, what she thinks he means? She tightens her grip around her pen, steering her eyes back to the paperwork she was intending to finish, stifling the sleep deprivation that may or may not really be sleep deprivation.
"Well, lucky you." She says with a chuckle.
The words slip out of her mouth before she can catch them, and Lilly manages to look embarrassed as a frown crosses Scotty's face.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He pulls up a chair and straddles it, leaning right into her light and making paperwork impossible.
She tries anyway, turning her head away and mentally reminding herself to get some more sleep tomorrow night. Name: Becca Taylor … Investigating Detective: Lilly Rush
Scotty watches a curtain of blond hair fall over her face, hiding the blush he knows is adorable. Ignoring every logical thought process, he reaches forward and tucks it behind her ear. She jumps, her head whipping back around as she fixes him with a wide eyed stare.
"Valens…" She warns quietly.
Normally that would be enough for him to back off. Normally her icy glare would send him running for the hills, at least until the next morning. Normally. But it's late at night, the squad room is empty, and he's thinking life is damn short.
Too short to pretend he doesn't see right through her.
Too short to act like it doesn't fascinate him.
"Y'know, I was thinkin' more like, unlucky me?" Great, Valens. Real eloquent.
Lilly swallows, rolling her eyes as she tried to find something, anything, to stop him from going where she thought he was going.
"Weren't you going home?" She asks.
"Changed my mind."
She nods knowingly. "That happen often?"
"Only with some things." At her raised eyebrows, he continues. "Other things… I'm just sure of 'em"
He looks her straight in the eye and Lilly feels the sleep deprivation convince her of - what he's sure of.
A blush creeps up her cheeks as Lilly curses inwardly. He always manages to steer conversation back to the topic she's busy skirting around. "I'm really not in the mood for your jokes tonight, Scotty."
"Who's jokin'?" My God, he looks genuinely hurt, she notices.
Throwing down her pen with exasperation, she decides to play along. But just for now. "Fine. What are you sure of?"
He gives her a cryptic smile, but doesn't answer. "Can't that wait until tomorrow?" He indicates the barely started interview report.
"Why should it? I have time now." She's so earnest, like she couldn't imagine a better way to spend the night. Scotty resolves to show her.
"There's more to life than work, y'know?"
His words are soft and innocent, but Lilly can't help the flash of hurt that swallows her. For him. For him there was more to life than work. There was his Frankie, and his Alex, and his other flavors of the week. What was there for her?
"Yeah, like what?" She smiles despite the cynicism she's feeling and hopes to God he falls for it.
He doesn't.
"There's me." He answers her question unabashed.
"You are work." She reminds him.
He's silent for a second, and for that second, Lilly thinks she's won this round. He's going to go home now, and leave her with Becca Taylor's long ago death. She doesn't know whether to cheer or cry.
A moment later though, he finds his voice, "I'm work for now." He corrects. "If you want Lil, I could be… not work. "He finishes with a boyish grin.
"Stop it, Scotty." She demands. Stop it before she has to pick up the sheet of paper on the desk and fan herself with it.
He smiles like he knows exactly what effect he has on her. It terrifies her that he probably does.
In the next moment, while Lilly tries her best to stop the blush in its tracks, Scotty seems to come to a decision. All in or all out?
"Lil… I was kinda thinkin…"
Silence. All in our all out?
"Well that's new." Teasing, friendly.
"I know this great place… good food, drinks, the works…"
She smiles and feigns ignorance. "Well, I'm happy for you Valens."
He mentally smacks himself, and in his brief hesitation, she stands up and starts to gather up her notes. Scotty's getting close, way to close for comfort, and Lilly is worried the sleep deprivation (because that's what she wants to call it for now) will get the better of her. They're in dangerous territory, inside a live crime scene when they shouldn't have crossed the police tape.
"I think I'll head home after all." She ignores the sinking feeling in her heart at his disappointed look.
Scotty watches as she hastens to find her coat. Game over.
But not until he says.
She's almost out the door and to the elevator before he catches up with her. He notices her cheeks are flushed with the emotions she's managed to hide up until now and smirks with satisfaction. Then he asks.
"You wanna come with?" It's not the most romantic of propositions. But they've never been traditional and he thinks maybe it'll work out. Maybe after all these years anything will work.
All in.
"No." She says firmly.
"Wanna skip that part then?" He's grinning widely, like he's not dangerously close to getting decked in the face. Maybe careless ain't so bad.
"Not a chance Valens."
"Ruusshhh…" He draws out her name with just a hint of an accent. It's intoxicating.
She rolls her eyes at the childish behavior that wasn't at all unexpected from Scotty Valens and turns away toward the elevator, waiting for the doors to ding open.
He's standing close. Too close.
Again.
In fact, he's so close that when he whispers his next words she can feel his breath by her ear, and she wonders if his chin is an inch away from her shoulder. It's taking all she's got to keep from turning around and grabbing him and…
"Just you and me Lil." He sounds completely serious for the first time all night. "And food." He adds as an after thought. "No pressure."
It's the caring, gentle, almost reverent way he guesses what she's been worrying since they started this little game - That he would get past the ominous police tape she keeps herself shrouded in - It's that that convinces her to turn around.
When she does her face is so close to his that he can count the faded freckles on her nose. He expects her to take a few hasty steps backward, but she doesn't. Neither does he.
He smiles again. Because he's realized over the years that when he smiles she does too and God does he love to see her smile. He knows he has her, at least for tonight, when she doesn't break eye contact.
"You didn't answer my question, Valens."
"What question?"
"What are you sure of?"
The elevator arrives at that moment, and Scotty's grateful because despite all his carelessness tonight, he's not ready to tell her. I'm sure about you. I'm sure I love you, and I think - no I'm sure - I always have.
Like I said, I'm not entirely sure where the came from. I'd love to hear from you guys in the CC place (: