AN: Set a long time down the road. Like my other 3 things fic, this is meant to be humorous and fluffy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Blacklist.
Red smiled as he listened to Liz laugh again next to him. It was like music to his ears; especially since she rarely laughed anymore. It was usually a chore to get her to even smile these days. Her laugh was infectious, and he didn't mind that it wasn't directed at him, but at Aram. Aram had mentioned earlier that day in passing that he couldn't stay at the Post Office any later than 6:00 because he was taking his nieces to the last "Movie in the Park" of the summer. He had shyly invited Liz to come along, and when he'd noticed Red behind her, he had extended the offer to him as well. Red hadn't wanted to go, and had even opened his mouth to decline, but he'd looked at Liz and saw a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
It had surprised the hell out of him.
So here they all were; sitting on a thick blanket with hundreds of adults and rambunctious kids waiting for the movie to begin on the large, makeshift screen in front of them. The sky was barely tinged pink as the blackness of nighttime began to overtake them, resulting in the air quickly cooling to the point where they all had had to pull their jackets on. Red sat next to Liz, but she hadn't said much to him as she had spent the last twenty minutes chatting with Aram and his nieces. He didn't mind all that much because it afforded him the opportunity to observe her without her glaring at him for staring.
He smiled to himself as he recalled the other times she had caught him, and it had usually gone along with a punch in the arm or thigh. Sometimes he did it on purpose just so she would touch him; it was rather pathetic of him, but he took what he could get.
He didn't really know how to define their relationship. He knew she had feelings for him, but she had yet to really act on them besides a few fleeting touches and kisses on the cheek as she went to bed. She had been staying with him for a long time. Longer than he had ever dared hope.
At first she had told him it was because she only felt safe with him and Dembe around, but then they had eliminated Tom and Berlin, and she was still living with him. He didn't want to ask why, and she didn't ever explain her continued presence, so he just let it be. Even if didn't ever have the chance to be with her the way he wanted, he still wanted her to be near him.
He loved her. He hadn't at the beginning when he'd first entered himself in into her life. She had just been a means to an end; but his feelings had grown over the last couple of years and there was no doubt in his mind anymore. He just wished he knew how she felt. She kept her feelings close to her vest, but they spent all their free time together, so she must feel something for him; at least that's what he rationalized to himself to make himself feel better.
Red shifted to stretch out his arthritic left knee, which caused his right shoulder to brush hers. She stopped talking and looked at him with a raised brow. He reached up and squeezed her bicep, letting her know it had been incidental. She nodded, but didn't pull her arm out of his grasp, and instead leaned a little more into him. He was surprised, but didn't draw attention to it as Liz resumed talking to the little girl who sat in Aram's lap.
Red released her arm, but didn't move his body away and pulled his cell phone out to see if he had any messages. Nothing. Of all the times he wanted to be interrupted, and not even a damn voicemail. He sighed quietly and stuck it back in his pocket. He was bored out of his mind already, and he couldn't imagine the movie helping.
Finally after five long minutes, the flood lights surrounding them shut off, and the projector lit up and began playing the movie. He watched as the Disney theme song began to play and the blue castle appeared on the screen. He leaned closer to Liz and whispered close to her ear, "What movie are they showing, Lizzie?"
She turned towards him, finally finished with her conversation, and smiled. He could tell because her white teeth glinted in the soft light coming from the screen. "Why? Bored already?" She was making fun of him.
He tilted his head and traced a finger lightly over her cheek, then tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her entire face. "Not at all. I was just curious."
She leaned closer, their faces inches apart, as she tried to interpret his expression in the dark. She laughed quietly and moved her lips near his ear. "Toy Story 3. Ever seen it?"
He glanced at the screen and saw that it was indeed Toy Story, then looked back at her and raised his eyebrows. "I've never had the pleasure." His voice was full of sarcasm, and he knew she could tell immediately that he was being a smart-ass.
Liz punched his thigh lightly and shook her head, then moved her body closer, but still left a few inches of space between their bodies.
He sat back on his hands with both legs stretched out and resigned himself to watching the movie. Maybe he could get away with taking a little nap.
Fifteen minutes in and his eyes were already beginning to droop. Maybe that's all he needed to do to get a good night's sleep; watch Disney movies. He must have drifted off, because next thing he knew, Liz had pressed her body to his side and was blowing in his ear.
His eyes shot open and he moved his head away so she would stop. "Lizzie," he whispered warningly.
She huffed a quiet laugh and whispered back, "Stay awake. It hasn't even been twenty minutes."
Red yawned and ran the hand that wasn't behind Liz's ass over his face and short hair. "I'm old. This is what old people do," he said in a low voice.
She squeezed his upper thigh, entirely too close to his groin and said, "Shut up, Red. You're no-"
She was cut off by the little girl in Aram's lap (he hadn't bothered to learn either of the girls' names)
"Shhhh. I can't hear what Buzz and Woody are saying, Liz!"
He sat up slightly and watched as Liz turned to her and apologized profusely (sarcastically, of course).
Aram hid his laughter and began to whisper something in the little girl's ear. Red turned his attention back to the woman still pressed to his side. He raised the arm that was behind her and experimentally put it around her waist to see how she would react.
He didn't worry about Aram seeing anything. He wouldn't dare say anything to Cooper anyway.
Liz sighed and seemed to just let go and sink into his embrace. He tightened his fingers and stroked her bare skin with the thumb that found its way under the bottom of her jacket and beneath the hem of her shirt. She didn't object and instead turned her face into his neck and inhaled, then exhaling slowly; her warm breath tickling his sensitive skin.
They sat that way for a long while until he couldn't feel his lower half anymore; he was loathe to move though, because he was enjoying their cuddling entirely too much. So he endured his discomfort and instead began to place feather light kisses in her hair and on her temple to distract himself. She moved her head a little and kissed his Adam's apple, then moved her free arm and wrapped it around his waist. He couldn't believe how forward she was being, but figured it must be because it was dark. Everything was easier to do in the dark.
He glanced up at the screen and saw that the characters were in a furnace and were moving towards their deaths; he still didn't care, but he could hear the two little girls and Aram all whispering "No" over and over again; it amused him to no end.
He decided to take a chance and pulled her back slightly so he could see her face. Before she could ask him what he was doing, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her softly, sliding his lips over hers for a few moments before pulling back and leaning his forehead against hers. He wanted more, but not with hundreds of impressionable children around.
"Red," she whispered as she moved the hand that was wrapped around his waist up to his chest and placed it over his heart.
He needed to tell her how he felt. She needed to know that she wasn't just another one of his conquests. He felt like screaming it out so everybody could hear. He kissed her cheek, then moved his lips to her ear and said against her skin. "Lizzie, I need you to know. I lo-"
He was cut off by all the kids simultaneously screaming. They jumped apart like teenagers who were caught making out, and Red looked at the screen to see that the toys had been saved. He rolled his eyes and shook his head. What lousy timing. Just his luck.
Liz leaned back towards him and said quietly, "What were you going to say?"
He smiled and reached over to lace his fingers with hers. "I was just going to say thank you for inviting me here. I've enjoyed myself."
He could tell she didn't believe him. "Red-"
He cut her off by letting go of her hand and moving on to all fours. He looked back and smiled at her. "I can't feel my ass," he whispered; just loud enough for her to hear.
She laughed and leaned back on her hands, then turned her attention back to the movie. Their moment was gone.
He frowned and cursed the stupid movie in his mind over and over until it finally (finally!) ended. The lights flickered back on and he stood with a groan, then turned to pull her up. In the light, she was once again distant with him.
He sighed and walked next to her, their hands brushing, as they followed Aram and his nieces out to the car. He would get his chance to tell her; he just had to find the right time and not chicken out. He could face down hardened criminals without his heart rate rising above eighty, but Liz made him feel like a teenager asking a girl to his first prom. It was a foreign feeling; he didn't like it.
AN: The other 3 things fic was so much fun to write that this one begged me to write it. I couldn't turn it down..haha. I would love to hear what you think! Thanks for reading. :)