Author's usual notes and disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of my stories and the developments I've let them go through.

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Author's note and summary: Another piece of fluff. Because sometimes we just need it.

The idea of 98 words had slept for a while in my files and it is written rather quickly. Apologies for its simplicity.

A normal scene from the office during a tricky case. Nothing more, nothing less. You look for a plot? Sorry, you have to look somewhere else. If not, enjoy...

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whiteboard

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New Scotland Yard, Major Crimes Department, one of these typical open plan offices. Officers sat working at their desks and in front of a long row of file cabinets two whiteboards with photographs, maps, papers, sticky notes, scribbled words and lines were arranged. DI Tommy Lynley and DS Havers stood at one of it. While the other officers were busy with phone calls, research and whatever else belonged to the daily work of the police the two leading detectives were in a deep discussion about a tricky problem that had made them get stuck in this case for almost two days now.

The DI stood very close behind his Sergeant after she had finished moving from left to right and back, trying to put together some ideas that had popped into her head the night before. Barbara had stopped moving in front of the map with the area where the body had been found so now she stood with her back almost touching Tommy's chest. She animatedly continued talking and he did not mind having her there. She was too small to block his sight.

Her new idea looked as if it really was leading to something and they both did not recognise how it may look how they stood there. Only DC Winston Nkata, sitting at the nearest desk, quickly had returned his gaze to his superiours after he had let his eyes only shortly look up to gather some thoughts he had had. Now his mind was not wondering anymore if the murderer was the thief of the stolen e-bike anymore. His mind was wondering if these two blind detectives will ever realise the tension between them and finally act on it.

For the time being the two blind detectives only thought about how the murderer could have left the scene and how far he could have come. Police had found another body killed in the same nasty way the first victim was but Lafferty had circled the time scales of the two crimes very close and the victims had been found rather distant to each other.

When DS Havers finally had stopped talking there was a short moment of silence before her boss started to pick certain aspects of her theories and destroyed or approved of them.

"Your idea of the murderer crawling through the sewer tunnels here is highly unlikely." he said vaguely pointing towards the map. His arm brushed hers. Then he gave a soft laugh. "You watch too many Hollywood films, Barbara!"

Barbara inhaled to give a sharp reply but then she felt his hands landing on her shoulders and softly squeezing her. Only then she realised how close they actually stood. She knew if she would lean back she would be able to snuggle into his arms.

Nkata could not suppress a huge grin. He had seen Barbara's head briefly and only a fragment turning backwards but although there was a light rosy touch on her face she did not ask her boss to stop touching her and return to being professional. Lynley himself seemed oblivious to what his hands were doing. They both still talked quietly about the two homicides and how they could be put together.

Tommy continued talking about one good idea of his Sergeant and kept his hands on her shoulders. By the time he had finished, or rather had reached a dead end in his theory, Barbara picked up the thread and supported his version. She talked and talked and pointed at certain things on the board, then circled an area on the map in front of them.

Meanwhile Tommy had started to put a soft pressure onto her shoulders. His thumbs massaged her nape and his fingers kneaded her shoulder blades. Unconsciously he had moved closer to her back but their bodies of course still were not touching. His thoughts were completely focussed on the woman under his fingers. He did not hear a single word she said but he did not care. He only heard the cloth of her blouse rustling with every massaging movement. In the back of his mind an indecent idea of undressing Barbara flashed by but he would not allow himself to think further in that direction.

Barbara had stopped working out the theory. Eventually she had become aware of what her boss was doing. She could feel by the warmth in her back how close he actually was by now. Parts of her wanted to lean into his chest but she knew he surely would not approve of that. With his hands doing magic on her tense muscles she forgot where they were and that they should solve the mystery that laid unfolded on the whiteboard in front of her. If he was answering to her new theory she did not know but she did know that he was breathing right next to her ear. She could hear every single breath. She could feel his nose moving through her hair, or so she thought. She was not sure about that because it could not actually happen. She could hear him swallowing. She could hear him sharply inhaling and that was when she expected him to break the spell.

Tommy was far from it. "Y' smell g'd." he mumbled with his lips almost touching her right earlobe.

"Hm?" If Barbara would have tried to say something proper it surely only would have been a weak croak.

Tommy had to clear his throat before he answered with a still low voice. He had to be sure their colleagues would not hear him. "You... Your hair smells wonderful, Barbara. There's a hint of seaweed in your shampoo, isn't it?"

Tommy vaguely remembered a gift from his sister for Barbara's previous birthday. The woman so close to his chest - he would only need a small pull at her shoulders to press her against him - imperceptibly nodded. Seeing a deep blush creeping across the skin in her nape he suddenly realised that today she had put her hair in some nicely unruly bun that left her neck completely exposed. It would be so easy to kiss her. The soft massage of Tommy's hands suddenly turned into a gentle caress. Everything in his body screamed to finally place his lips where he wanted to place them.

Keeping her head upright as if she still was looking at the board Barbara closed her eyes. She almost did not dare to go on breathing so pleasant was the touch of the man she secretly had adored for too many years. The sounds of the officers around them turned as quiet as a distant wind breeze, almost as if they vanished. Her mind was focussed on the pleasantly burning touch of his caresses. She knew her skin was flushing deep red but she did not mind. Her skin screamed for more. It longed to be finally kissed. It ached to know how Tommy's lips felt on it. She ached to know how Tommy's lips felt on hers.

After what seemed to be a thrilling hour she heard his quiet voice again.

"Fancy dinner tonight?" he said right next to her ear.

Barbara could not help but press her shoulders into his chest. Tommy took it as a yes.

His lips touched the skin of her auricle when he spoke. "There's a small Hungarian restaurant in Chapel Street. It's just opened recently."

"Okay." Barbara croaked. "But you pay, Sir. I wouldn't be able to aff-"

"Sure." Tommy managed to press her against the complete length of his body without moving too much. The new situation let Barbara sharply exhale. She felt an unknown physical desire burning inside. "And it's not too far from my house so we can have a nightcap in a more relaxed atmosphere afterwards."

This idea opened so many possible endings Barbara had to stop thinking. "Sure." she breathed.

"I know you don't like these posh restaurants but it isn't what you'd expect. It may be expensive but it's really authentic. Family run, dog friendly, open to all. Down to earth, despite where it's located. It's noble, but it's genuine."

Like me. he thought.

Like you. she thought. And then she suddenly realised that it was not her mind playing the trick on her that they were wrapped in a comfortable bubble of blissful ignorance. The office really had turned almost completely silent. In an instant she felt watched but she dared not move her eyes to their colleagues. Her body though went stiff.

"Tommy, I think they're watching us." she whispered. Pointing at a random spot on the map she feigned talking about the case.

"I don't mind." Tommy murmured. She had called him by his given name and it had made his heart jump in joy. Then he placed the softest of a kiss on her temple and abruptly turned.

In an instant Barbara missed his touch. Her back felt as if an arctic breeze blew against it. In an instant their fellow officers were busy with something and the sudden rustling of paper and clicking keys that filled the room sounded painfully loud in her ears.

"Winston!" Tommy exclaimed. The addressed officer raised his head and smiled. His boss could not help but mirror the grin. It was obvious that at least DC Nkata had seen what had happened in front of the whiteboard. The two men both almost invisibly nodded. "Could you please look for a map of the sewer tunnels in that area?"

"Of course, Sir." Winston's grin had turned even broader when Barbara finally had found the nerves to turn away from the interesting board. He approvingly nodded and it made her blush another bit more. She had to get out of here or she would set herself on fire. When she came past Tommy she said a few last but brave words.

"Let's skip dinner." she mumbled smiling.

Her seductive suggestion left DI Lynley with a dropped jaw and a decidedly red touch in his face.

Winston had to hide his laugh behind a fake cough. If this evening would head where he hoped, work for his two bosses would become very interesting. He really looked forward to that.

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