AN:I have no chill with Carter and Reese. I wanted to try something a little different with this story. It takes place during 3x3 with a twist. Poor POIverse tends to get twisted when I write.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, like normal *pouts*
John stared at Joss. He couldn't help it. He was having a harder time at viewing her as just a friend. He wasn't entirely sure when the metamorphosis happened, but one night Joss was just a friend and then the next morning; he realized she was something more. It happened over the summer after she had been busted down to officer for a clean shoot. At first he had figured he was feeling slightly different towards her because he felt guilty. He had been wrapped up in trying to keep the machine from falling into the wrong hands and finding Finch that he hadn't known she was in trouble. He prided himself on taking care of her, of always being there for her. He didn't take his vow of not letting her being alone anymore lightly. And he failed her that day. Joss didn't seem to see it that way but she had a poor habit of seeing the good in him where he didn't deserve it.
So he tried to make it up to her when he saw her down and depressed, especially after working overnight shifts. She hated them, feeling like she was as she claimed to him once: a vampire. But to him she'd make a desirable vampire and he wouldn't mind her sucking on his neck…or anything else for that matter. The moment that scandalous and pure carnal thought had tore through him, he had sat up straight on her couch feeling his body respond to the mere thought, and she asked him what was wrong. He had given her a lame excuse. There was no way in hell he could tell her the truth. It had been his first clue of many that his feelings towards Joss had shifted from purely platonic to something more.
Then he had started going over to her place more and more, trying to pretend it was just to cheer her up but in truth it was more than that. He wanted to spend his time with her, wanted her to share stories with him, and share stories with her in return. He wanted to take her food to find out her preferences so he could bring the ones she really enjoyed again and again. John had learned early on that Joss loved Thai, red wine, and had a weakness for chocolate…just like him. She wanted to know where he got the desserts for her. It was a trade secret that he didn't share with many people and maybe eventually he'd let Joss in on it that he baked them for her. He didn't share the fact that he knew how to cook and bake with anyone. John didn't see it as a conversation point. His mother taught him the wonders of cooking and baking. He loved it. And if he hadn't loved the Army he probably would have went to culinary school after he served his court-ordered boot-camp for that assault. It was the only thing he had been actually good at besides taking orders.
John watched Joss and as she stood in front of him unassumingly in that form-fitting brown and red leather dress; Joss was the sexiest woman he ever saw in his life. She had soft curls in her hair, making his fingers itch with the burning desire to slide through her hair. Her bright red lipstick decorating her full lips beckoned his. Beckoned his to press onto them warmly, before he sucked on them, and then urge them to part to let his tongue slide in her warm mouth and find out how she tasted. It was that question that kept him up at night sometimes. John sighed as he tried to tear his stationary gaze off her tempting lips.
He had to come to terms just recently with the blatant fact that he was deeply attracted to Joss; physically, sexually, and emotionally. She was everything to him and if he'd just let himself he could fall hopelessly in love with her if he wasn't already. And he had been trying to put out feelers to see if she shared even a little of the same feelings as him, not wanting to lose what he did have with her, with their friendship, but he was being too indirect. He thought he saw a blush on her face when he told her she looked badass in her uniform but she turned it around on him and merely said that his 'uniform' was the same except for the mask was new. It hadn't been the reaction he wanted. But partly he was to blame; he should have said she looked hot, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable if she didn't feel the same way about him. Maybe he should try flirting with her. However flirting wasn't one his strong suits and he didn't have many friends he could ask for help. Asking Finch would embarrass them both, asking Fusco would lead to nothing but annoying comments, and Shaw barely knew how to be a person.
He forced his unrelenting gaze off the object of his affection to finally take notice that Zoe stood next to her, who paled in comparison, as they listened to Finch speak about what they needed from them. It wasn't quite fair to Zoe to compare her to Joss as they were polar opposites. Zoe did things that pleased her while Joss did things that pleased others. If someone needed it, Joss would give them the shirt off her back to help them out. John didn't meet many people like that and Joss had shown that innate generosity the first time they met. It was why the idea of taking that walk on the Brooklyn Bridge held no appeal anymore. She restored his faith in humanity in those precious few minutes he had talked with her before Finch sprung him. She saved him simply by being who she was.
John eyed Zoe sharply as she held up the taser with it going to bring attention to her as Joss and Shaw talked guns. He narrowed his eyes on Zoe who had to throw it out there that he purchased it for her. And he had but he hadn't meant to get pink but it was the only color left at the convenience store near where he called Zoe to meet him to ask her for her help on the case. He had bought it on a whim because he knew Zoe preferred to not carry a weapon, so coloring it as a gift wasn't entirely true, and left John a little irritated that she made it sound as if he gifted her something special. This was the second time she had been possessive of them, of him, in front of Joss. It was the last time too.
John shifted his focus back onto Joss as he caught sight of her moving toward him. His eyes slid down her curvy body in that form-fitting leather dress that showed off how well she took care of herself. Not to mention she had some sexy legs too. Too bad he couldn't get a look from behind…Joss had a nice behind and he could almost imagine how her ass looked in this dress. He licked his lips in anticipation as he was determined to find out. His eyes flitted up her body pausing to caress her full and firm looking breasts. He could nearly feel them in his palms as he tested their weight while he played with her nipples, imagining how they'd pucker against his fingers. Or his tongue as he licked and sucked on them and wondered if she would moan loudly or softly. He bet Joss was quiet but would get louder as the pleasure spiraled out of her control. He would love to make Joss lose control.
He forcefully stopped those titillating thoughts because he would cause himself a source of embarrassment that surely Shaw would be the first to see and then proceed to comment on. Finch would become uncomfortable, then Zoe would think his hard on was for her, and Joss would pretend she didn't notice. Even though she was the reason he couldn't settle himself down.
John looked up and saw her staring at him, having at some point stopped moving as she realized he had been staring at her body. He should feel mortified at being caught devouring her beautiful sight but he wasn't. Couldn't. He was man looking at a beautiful woman. If she could only hear his thoughts about how he wished to spread her legs and pleasure her until she was coming apart again and again, then he might feel embarrassed. But that was a big maybe, only if she didn't share the same feelings.
He smiled as her eyes dropped the contact first as she finished moving to the couch and sat down gracefully. John inhaled deeply as her sweet Jasmin scent filled his nose. She did smell so good. She always did. And her hair would sometimes smell of lavender too. A couple nights ago he had let himself into her place waiting for her to come home so he could surprise her with Thai and wine, he had let himself wander upstairs. He had tried to resist entering her bedroom. That was her sanctuary but more than that, John didn't think he could handle seeing her bed and then having the mental image of her resting in it. He hadn't fared well as he entered her bedroom seeing the queen-sized mattress lined with a feminine comforter. John had easily pictured her between the sheets, with him on top of her, and he had forced himself out and into her adjoining bathroom. He had found her shampoo, body wash, perfume, and lotions in there. The perfume she only had Jasmin. Her shampoos ranged from floral to citrus scents. He liked that she enjoyed variety.
John saw her sitting in front of him and he approached quietly and looked down. She was downloading the Angular app but his eyes zeroed in on her cleavage and groaned inwardly. He rested his hands on the back of the couch and decided to try again to put out some feelers to see if she was even halfway as attracted to him as he was to her. She stiffened just minimally as he leaned down and rested his mouth near her ear.
"You look beautiful in that dress, Joss," he whispered, not wishing to draw attention from the others in the room. To him, Joss was the only one that mattered.
After a moment she murmured a soft spoken 'thank you' before she leaned her head back so she could meet his eyes. And John stared. He would have dipped his head down to close the small gap between their lips just to taste hers gently, but she shot off the couch. John blinked in surprise watching as she turned to look at him as her breath seemed to come out fast.
He smiled slowly feeling it tilt his mouth upwards all the way. John watched her and her eyes narrowed on him and his smile remained in place. He had no idea what she was thinking, but she was truly breathtaking as she stood before him. He slowly straightened, still staring at her, and continued to do so, just basking in the fact that she wasn't immune to him.
John turned and addressed Shaw who was angrily telling Finch that she looked good. His eyes slid onto Joss for a brief moment.
Maybe he should try a more direct approach to find out if she thought of him as more than a friend.
AN: Poor John. All he wants is Joss :)
Thanks for reading!