Disclamer: I do not own Fringe or it's characters.
Closer pt.1 (Walter's POV)
The atmosphere in the lab seemed to change every time they found themselves alone together. It had started shortly after Walter returned from his trip to China town and discovered Astrid in the lab. When he saw her disheveled appearance he felt his heart begin to ache when he noticed the small head wound on the side of her face along with the blood stained shirt. He slowly extended his hand up to her and his fingers ever so gently stroked her cheek for a second before embracing her in a hug. This was the closest he had been to someone in a long time in such an intimate way even though it only lasted no more than a minute the connection formed.
From that point on their friendship had become more intimate with small displays of affection and appreciation such as a brush of one's hand on top of the other's for reassurance or a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. The dynamics of their relationship became more playful and it made the long late night hours in the lab feel more relaxed and at ease.
Walter enjoyed having Agent Farnsworth with him in the lab all to himself. He didn't have to worry about what the others had to say or their objections to his methods while working on their cases. Trust was one of the things he had lost at St. Claires and it meant a lot to him that his assistant trusted him not only as a co-worker but as a friend too. The girl whose name started with an A now held a special place in his heart where fondness had allowed itself to grow.
There were times when he caught himself admiring her from a far. It pleased him when he saw the determined look on her face when she was on the verge of figuring something out the way she was willing to learn things from him, even if it was just hypotheses she would listen with interest and wonder. There were other times when he had desired to wrap his fingers around those bouncy curls when the space between them was non-existent. He anxiously awaited her arrival some days, especially when she would bring them lunch or dinner. The smell of food wasn't what always drew him in it was her scent, it was sweet and the smell of her would linger in the air.
He imagined things sometimes people or faint whispers and this left him unsure sometimes , but when he found himself staring at her and when their eyes had met for a moment he could swear there was something in those soft brown eyes and that shy smile that was all too inviting and only reserved for him. These feelings Walter had developed were new to him or maybe he simply couldn't remember a time in which he may have felt this way for someone before, but it pleased him and troubled him at the same time.
There were nights when he didn't need to rely on having Peter sing Row, row, row your boat…. Or repeat the Fibonacci sequence out loud. He would simply close his eyes and let his mind drift to the lab and there she would be indulging in his experiments. Sometimes they would slow dance to one of his old records and other times his dreams wandered on their own. He would try to avoid her the next day blushing every time she gave him one of those coy smiles that warmed his heart and cheeks, which sent an uneasy feeling coursing downwards to his stomach.
Walter wondered when and if these feelings would go away soon because he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to control these now increasingly desirable urges he felt when they were alone together. Ever since Peter had found out about what he had done many years ago it put a strain on their relationship as he always known it would if he ever discovered the truth. Peter had handed him over to Astrid now because he didn't know what to do with him. Now that he was the sole owner of Massive Dynamic he found it comforting that he could confide in her about anything that was troubling him work related or not. She was the only person that understood Walter and accepted all the mystery that shrouded this man. Things weren't as difficult or complicated when he was with her and the time they spent together helped fill the void of a different type of love.