Précis: Alex and Bobby explore their fledgling relationship and there's an unusual situation for our favourite Detective!
A/N This story follows on from 'All About Her', a little fluff and a little mystery combined! B/A Pairing.
Spoilers: Vague allusions only as I've not seen Season 6 yet! (Jealous, much??).
Disclaimer: Mr Wolf owns them and I don't. They're only mine to play with.
Ch.1 Monday Morning Coming Down
Alex Eames was on the energetic side of peppy. An over-the-top, 'the hills are alive with the sound of music' Julie Andrews and Mary Poppins level of pep.
Which anyone who even casually knew Alex would tell you was really unusual, given not a single, solitary drop of java had passed her lips yet. Apparently, a little romance in this girl's life was better than any miracle multi-vitamin concoction for encouraging a little get up and go.
6:05am and all's right with the world. Alex was psyched and ready to face the day, just so long as her Partner (in every sense of the word) was along for the ride.
Alex was still amazed she'd managed to sleep at all last night, but sleep she had, waking more refreshed than in many a month. In the untainted purity of those early morning moments, sweet memories of this weekend swirled like a kaleidoscope, the images, scents and sounds rich and vibrant. The tastes and sensations dark and intimate. No doubt about it. He'd got her good.
She closed her eyes, just for a moment, and memories came flooding into her mind. Bobby had been endearingly sweet, vulnerable yet able to ask for what he wanted most. She liked to think that she'd given him whatever it was he needed to make that leap – and if it wasn't her, well… then she thanked whatever deity had intervened on their behalf.
After so many years without a significant other, it was going to take some getting used to… to thinking of herself as one half of a very satisfying, if always challenging, whole.
Speaking of said challenging other half, she was going to be late. And that would never do! Snatching the keys, Alex bounced out to the SUV. She and Bobby had agreed on breakfast together today. A war council, if you would, to formulate a plan of attack.
Each had decided they needed to connect before work took over and, truthfully, neither one trusting themselves to not be too transparent in the company of their ever vigilant colleagues, given the newness of their burgeoning romance.
A little perspective, as well as little breakfast, was needed. Caffeine and calories were always a great leveller!
Thank God they were smart though. Both knew they had to be circumspect at work. Okay, so the rules didn't specifically preclude a relationship between Partners. Nevertheless, six years was a hell of a lot to give up on. And an incredible incentive to make it work.
They had a dynamic together that meant they needed to work together seamlessly on a multitude of levels if they were going get the best out of every facet of their relationship. 'Best tone down the 'pep', Eames', Alex laughingly coached. It'd only take a moment for eagle eyed Logan to spot her out of character attitude adjustment.
'Hey! Maybe they'd get to hold hands, or neck a little before facing into work?'Brightening at the prospect, Alex pealed away, and hurried on her way to Bobby's.
Drawing up to his building, Alex flipped open her cell, dialling his number on auto-pilot. Two-seconds later, Bobby's gorgeously warm and welcoming dulcet tones teased her, sending a plethora of tiny little butterflies into acrobatics in her stomach… "Good Morning, Alex. You ready for me?"
Smirking, Alex gave into the temptation to tease him just a little, "Always, Bobby, always! But it's a little early right now, so how 'bout we start with breakfast first. Your treat!"
Bobby let his apartment door slam shut behind him, and loped down the hallway, suited and booted with portfolio safely under his arm, eager to see Alex. Mornings like this he could get used to. Mornings when almost all seems right in his world had been few and far between.
Days like yesterday unheard of. But, oh so welcome.
He paused to check for mail, 'Mmm…strange, none there for the third day running?' he mused, slightly perplexed, and bent to grab his paper 'Gotta have the crossword!'. Bobby lithely snaked through the front door on the heels of an incoming tenant, eyes locked on the black SUV idling at the kerb, oblivious to bodies weaving round him. Swinging himself into the seat that was perfectly adjusted for his long frame, he took his time settling his accoutrements round him, securing his safety belt, heightening the anticipation. Finally, he allowed himself to look at Alex, only to ruefully note her amusement at his behaviour.
"You sure you're ready, Goren?" she quipped.
"Yeah, Eames. I'm ready. Where d'you want to eat?"
"Eames, huh?" Alex sniped, "We back to being formal now? Want me to call you 'Goren' all day?"
Snark turned sharp. Uncertainty reared its ugly head, making her retort sharper than she'd intended. Alex admitted to feeling a little more nervous than she'd anticipated.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel, the knuckles taughtened to white, a dead giveaway to her ever-vigilant Partner. Trying to cover her nervousness, Alex nervously laughed in a vain attempt to lighten the suddenly weighted atmosphere.
Gently, not wanting to spook her, Bobby reached out and enveloped her nearest hand in his warm, comforting grip. One by one, he slowly peeled each finger off the steering wheel, releasing her death grip, holding her hand gently.
"Hey, Alex?" Claiming her attention, Bobby smiled ruefully. "I guess this'll take a some getting used to on both our parts, huh?"
"Yeah, more than I thought" she admitted, a little chagrined.
"Let's have that conversation over breakfast. In the meantime, how about something to make us both feel better?" Bobby had that sweetly shy, little boy smile firmly fixed on his face. He looked like a kid who wanted to ask for the best birthday present ever and was determined to look like the best, most well behaved angel ever, to ensure he got it.
An anticipatory smile ghosted Alex's lips. 'Well, we've done the hand-holding thing. Can we skip straight to the necking?' she postulated.
Squeezing the hand he still held, Alex replied, "What do you have in mind, Bobby? I already promised you breakfast this morning! What else could you possibly need so desperately?" Although she had an idea, needing the self-same thing. Six-years together will do that.
"I… uh… Mainly I need you. May I… Could I kiss you 'Good Morning'?" Ducking his head, he concentrated on their clasped hands.
Alex unwound her other hand from the wheel, and allowed her fingers to tunnel through his salt and pepper locks. "Bobby, you never need to ask, okay? That will always be okay."
Familiarity made a world of difference. Two days as an official 'couple', well official to themselves anyway, and Alex thought they'd got this kissing thing down to a fine art. It was amazing how quickly they'd learnt each others little nuances and pleasure points.
Slow and languid. Warm, wet and sensual. Bobby tasted toothpaste and Alex, and tellingly, no coffee. Alex sampled the essence of pure Bobby. Bobby nipped and nibbled his way around her soft and gentle lips, one hand still clasping hers, the other mirroring Alex's soft forays through his hair, cupping, supporting, moulding her head, angling her perfectly for a deeper, more intimate kiss.
Alex moaned in deep, deep appreciation of her very talented man and yielded to the gentle pressure he exerted, at the same time tightening the hold on his hand, as if to anchor herself. Tongues tangled and tested. Thrust and Parry. Warmth and welcome. Reminiscent and promising of an act they had yet to indulge in. 'Oh, God' Alex thought, 'I could get addicted to this…'Then conscious thought vacated her brain in favour of pure experiential bliss.
Bobby was equally lost, and overwhelmed… yes, that was the right word… overwhelmed by the vehemence of his passion towards Alex. Thrilled and excited by her responsiveness to him. 'Goren, why did it take you so long to make a move. You knew it would be this good.' Bobby lightly berated himself for a scant second before sinking once more into the joy of being with Alex, of being allowed to kiss Alex.
Moments extended into endless minutes. Suddenly, Alex's perspective returned. Necking in the front seat of the car! Two people who ought to know better, utterly lost in each other, uncaring whom may pass by. 'Thank God for tinted windows', she gasped.
Withdrawing reluctantly from the blissful nirvana, Alex dropped her forehead to Bobby's chest and let her hurried breathing return to normal. Bobby leant back in the passenger seat and just enjoyed holding her, his warm lips, damp from her mouth, idly brushing her temple, willing his pulse, and other things, to subside a little.
Gradually, Alex found her voice.
"Hold that thought for after work, Soldier. And, hey, a word of advice. Don't try that in the Captain's Office. I don't think Ross would enjoy it half as much as I did!"
"Mmm, for some reason I seem to have somewhat of an appetite. Wonder why?" Alex teased.
"Hey, don't blame me." Bobby raised both palms votively. "It doesn't seem to take much to encourage your, um, appetites!" Alex thought how plain nice it was to watch him smiling and teasing her right back. 'I did that' she mused, proudly. Bobby continued, unaware of her thoughts, "I seem to have done nothing but feed you this weekend!"
"Oh, you'll get yours Goren! Don't worry! Didn't I just give you a little appetiser? You'll have to be satisfied with that!" Pure devilment lit her hazel eyes, as she ran the toe of her boot-clad foot lightly up his inseam…and laughed delightedly at his startled reaction. Quickly, she took her appendage out of harms, and temptations way.
"Seriously, Bobby, we said we'd talk over breakfast about how to handle things at work. What do you want to do? Who'd you want to tell?"
Bobby studiously stirred his coffee and avoided her earnest gaze. Selfishly, he didn't want to tell anyone. He wanted to enjoy what they were discovering together to the exclusion of all others. Just for a little while. This was too new, too precious to expose to the vitriol and opinions of those who knew little about him. Time would be his friend.
"Alex, I… I guess I thought we'd take a little time to ourselves, get used to being 'us' before we invite anyone else in. I'd rather not 'tell' anyone. If… if that's okay with you?" His cautious gaze rose to meet her soft, hazel eyes, expecting censure and finding compassion and understanding instead.
"How about this? If they ask, we tell. If they don't, we don't. Kind of like a reverse 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy?" Alex proposed, reaching out and stilling the large pale hand still studiously and repetitively stirring coffee clockwise, then anti-clockwise.
"I… I guess that would be okay. I can't see we'd be too different… obvious… at work." mused Bobby, role-playing various scenarios over in his ever active and capacious mind.
Alex immediately retorted sarcastically, piqued at his supposed indifference, "I'll do my level best to resist throwing you over your desk and ravishing you six ways to Sunday, Goren!"
Startled by her bold declaration, Bobby laughed and quickly moved to reassure her. "Alex, much as I'd love that, as you said, I don't think the Captain would be too impressed!"
Leaning closer, he soothed ruffled feathers with soft strokes of his long fingers through her silky locks, tickling an earlobe with each pass. Alex all but purred, leaning into his soft and soothing touch. "All I meant was, we're so in tune with each other at work anyway, that I don't see what's to notice. I already open doors for you. You'll still drive, I'll still fetch you coffee and breakfast…"
Alex smiled softly, intimately and finished his musings, knowing where he was going with this,"…and you'll still call me 'Eames' at work, whilst I'll still call you 'Bobby'" Alex paused… thought for a moment… then smiled triumphantly. "Unless you piss me off… and then it's 'Goren'… and no 'afters' for you!
Bobby pretended to pout… bottom lip protruding just enough to give him that adorable, angelic, little boy lost look, the one with the irresistible half-smile playing around his lips. "And what about if I'm a good boy, Alex? What do I get then?"
Grinning at his antics, Alex nodded sagely, as if about to impart great wisdom.
"Ah, Bobby… you of all people must know, good things come to those who wait!"
Psyched for work, sated after breakfast and Bobby, Alex neatly slid out of the booth and held her hand out to him. "Come on, time to be a brave soldier and meet another day head on."
Bobby hastened to leave enough to cover the check and a tip. Mirroring Alex, he slid from the bench and, taking her hand, led the way to the SUV.
"Goren, get in here!"
As one, every head in the immediate vicinity turned to the source of the command. Ross was pissed. Seriously pissed.
Bobby started and looked around at his fellow Detectives, both sheepish and confused. He wasn't used to being called to account in quite that manner. And honestly, he couldn't think of a single thing he'd done to warrant chastisement from the Captain.
Directly across from him, Alex smirked at him. "Bobby, I don't know what the hell you've done this time, but he's seriously annoyed. Want me to come with?"
Bobby groaned audibly, dropped his head, mumbling "Please. I think I'm either gonna need a witness… or protection!"
Together they made their way across the Bullpen, sympathetic faces following their progress, and, still together, they stepped into the 'Dragon's Den'.
Ross was silent. Ignoring the pair, he set about systematically shutting out the curious Georges outside his office. He closed the door firmly and decisively drew each blind.
Drawing a deep breath, Ross turned to face his most effective, intelligent and, at the same time, unpredictable and frustrating team. He studied Bobby, who'd taken a defensive position over by the wall, leaning against the window frame. He was looking at the outside world, a look of deliberate concentration on his face, studiously avoiding the Captain's gaze.
Alex had taken the chair in front of the desk, adopting a classic defensive pose, arms and legs tightly crossed. He imagined all her digits to be tightly twisted too. Ross's gaze collided with Alex's. He inwardly winced. Alex had her patented 'No-one messes with my Partner' look on her face.
Ross frowned. He knew better than to mess with Alex where Bobby was concerned. She was fiercely loyal to her unpredictable bear of a Partner.
Goren, on the other hand, he'd yet to work out. And, truth be told, wasn't sure he'd ever get to the same level of understanding and appreciation that Deakins had with Bobby. He'd overlooked a lot these past few months, in the interest of harmony and to maintain the sanctity of the indivisible team of two. Some things, though, he couldn't overlook. No matter how he wanted to.
Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat, demanding their attention. Attempting a mild tone that belied his frustration, he adopted an air of enduring patience and threw out an opening gambit.
"Goren? Want to tell me why I got the Chief of the Traffic Division calling me… about you?"
Bobby squirmed restively, turning his gaze from the window and quirked an expressive eyebrow at his Captain. "I… I don't th…think we have a current case involving traffic, Captain."
Ross couldn't decide if Goren was being deliberately obtuse or not. It was kind of hard to tell with him. Only Alex could read his signs, hence the appearance, and rumours, of telepathy between them. Their partnership had long ago reached the point of not needing words.
"It's not a case, Goren. It's you! The Chief rang me personally, just to let me know that one of my Major Case Detectives has a major problem. Specifically, a list of outstanding parking violations up to the wazoo!"
At that, Alex sat ramrod straight. "Captain! That can't be. Bobby never drives, even when we…" trailing off guiltily. "Oops! Way to go! Alex. Why don't you just confess all to your boss! ", Alex inwardly berated herself.
"When you what, Detective?" Ross immediately pounced on the almost admission. Holding up a hand, he stopped an inclination she may have had to confess something he may, or may not, have been ready to hear. "Never mind, Eames. The only thing I want to hear at this moment is his explanation.", pointing emphatically at Bobby. "Well?"
A/N Reviews are like individual spoonfuls of honey… each one sweetly savoured. Please leave one and tell me what you think!
Ch2. Coming soon: What has Bobby got to say for himself?
