Not A Clue

Kate really didn't know how they had gotten into this particular position, with her lying on her back, hands pinned over her head and staring into his clear green eyes. She thought back to the start of the evening, try to figure out what clues she could have possibly missed…

It was Saturday night and for some strange – grateful – reason they all had the night off. Magnus had told them to 'Go out, have fun, be young', a rather fitting sentence, considering it came from an 158 year old. Will had decided on a movie, Ashley and the Big Guy had agreed to go along with him. He had invited her to come along too, but she'd already seen it and there was a band playing at some bar that she preferred to go see.

Somehow Henry had ended up coming with her to the bar instead of the movies with the rest, claiming something about the special effects being so last generation they hurt. She didn't really pay attention to the specifics, usually when Henry got into 'technomode' – as she dubbed it - she usually tuned out. They all set out at around the same time, Will and the gang making up plans to meet them at the bar later for drinks.

They'd gotten there early, grabbed good seats and she'd convinced him that pizza was the best call if they wanted to last until the early hours. Maybe his quick acceptance of 'Sure, whatever you want' should have been a small giveaway but, then again, this was pizza and a hungry werewolf she was talking to, not really that impossible a combination. So they ordered and talked while they ate, starting the first rounds of drinks with a couple of beers. The conversation between them flew easily, as it always did, harmless banter here and there, mixing in a couple of stories from past jobs. They had fun, they always had fun together, Kate knew exactly what buttons to push to take a rise out of him and vice-versa.

Flirting? No, there was nothing of that going on, they were just friends, colleagues. One could say they were a lot closer then normal 'friends', but working in the Sanctuary and dealing with what they did on a daily basis tended to bring people closer. It was a fact.

They finished dinner in time for the band to start playing, acid rock, her favorite. Henry's not so much from the cringes he gave her form time to time, she figured those were more to annoy her then anything else. Especially if you considered that she gave him a playful shove or a small poke every time he did it, which made him laugh. 'Yeah, he did it to annoy me, after all, what other reason could he have to come watch the band if he didn't like it?' Kate conveniently left out the 'With her' at the end of that sentence. It had nothing to do with her.

The band played well and was called back two times before they left the stage and some classic rock music began to play. The guys, and Ashley, arrived then, Will jokingly saying that that was real music, not the ear-trash they were listening before. This, of course, earned him a head-slap from Henry, which somehow ended up being the confirmation Kate needed from before on if he actually liked acid rock or not.

Seats were pulled, everyone gathered around their table and she thought nothing of being squished between him and the wall, the place was crowded after all. Drinks were ordered, talk ensued, some speculations about whether they would come home to a dead Nikola and if it had really been the wisest decision to leave him and Magnus alone. A grossed-out Ashley and a reminder from her that she could still hurt everyone at the table even drunk had dropped the topic of Magnus and Tesla.

She didn't remember who had suggested it, having had 4 beers already, but soon her and Will were being dragged out of their seats by Ashley and Henry and were being led to the dance floor. Kate did try to argue about not knowing how to dance, but something about having had dance lessons while growing up from Magnus herself had her ungracefully trying to follow Henry's lead. Looking out at Ashley trying the same thing with Will, she was relieved to notice that she really didn't suck as much as him and went back to not stepping on Henry's feet.

Granted those 4 beers were already starting to have their effect and Kate more stumbled and tripped then actually danced. But Henry caught her every time and laughed at her, making her mock scowl and playfully hit him before she tried again. They did try to switch dance partners at one time, but that had only led to Will and her bumping terribly into each other while Ashley and Henry kicked their asses drifting across the dance floor. They soon saw the flaw in their plan and switched back to their original pairs, Kate telling herself that the only reason she was glad to be back in Henry's arms was because she was enough of a dancing clutz alone without adding Will to the mix.

Eventually they returned to their seats and someone, again she didn't remember how, suggested they do tequila shots and play a drinking game. She considered denying for a second, not really wanting to get very drunk, but then Henry looked at her with a teasing smirk calling her a wimp. That was enough for her to join and rolling her eyes she promised him that he was going to regret challenging her. Tequila was ordered and a game of 'Never Have I Ever Seen a Certain Abnormal' began.

Kate, Ashley and Henry had quite an advantage over poor Will, having grown up around these creators and Will, while fighting it bravely, was soon on his way to becoming plastered. The Big Guy, she realized after Tequila shot number three…or was it five…Anyway, the Big Guy was remarkably sober and the one enjoying their antics more then anyone else. Henry later confided in her that even if Biggie did drink, he rarely got drunk, which was why Magnus sent him along to 'keep an eye' on them.

The night continued on and they laughed and drank until the amount of alcohol Will had ingested finally decided to catch up with him, something that not even Kate in her own slightly drunk state missed, and he was ushered back to the Sanctuary with the Big Guy. And then there were three.

They kept on talking and drinking more calmly, at one point Kate stated that she should have brought a jacket, causing Henry to put his arm over her shoulders. She let him, because it felt nice and he was warm. She snuggled deeper and laid her head on his shoulders, it was getting heavy and he was right there, after all. He leaned down to whisper something into her ear, making her laugh and she tried not to notice the strange look and smirk on Ashley's face directed at them. Claiming that it was late and she had things to do tomorrow, Ashley ended up leaving as well, much to their protest.

That left both of them and they didn't really seem to mind, not changing positions or moving at all, they continued to talk. Henry started to play wit her hair, something he'd casually done a few times before in the lab, she turned to say something and caught a glance of his watch; 'Shit, it was more then time to go!'

They left the bar and walked together trough the streets of Old City, it was peaceful and cool, a perfect night if not for the slight breeze that made Kate shiver. Always the gentleman Henry put his arm over her shoulder again and once more she let him, because she suddenly started to like it and he sorta smelled nice – something she was surprised to never have noticed before.

Maybe that was when a part of her noticed that something was different between them, she just didn't know what it was yet. She was loosing control over some things and that scared her. It was a Kate Freelander rule; 'Always try to maintain control of the situation, without it, you're screwed.' With this is mind, she decided she had to act…

So she did the mature thing, suddenly pushing him sideways and daring him to get to the Sanctuary before her, being the grown-child that he was, Henry accepted on the spot and then they were running. The buildings and street-lights a blur as both of them tried to surpass the other. Henry was faster, the whole werewolf-gene thing working to his advantage, but Kate knew these streets like the palm of her hand and hidden short-cuts were her specialty.

Turning a corner she lost track of him and was soon gaining on the Sanctuary gates and entering, a Kate made for the big front doors she kept looking behind her for any signs of him. Yeah, she was distracted, that's a given, she was also rather drunk, which is the only way Henry managed to suddenly appear out of nowhere and tackle her to the grass, effectively pinning her down. Thinking back, maybe the signs were all really there…

- "Ha, you totally didn't see that one coming." Henry teased, his chuckle vibrating trough her whole body.

- "Get. Off. Now." Kate snarled, not necessarily pissed at him, more at herself for not having avoided this.

- "You know, you could be dead now." He replied, not moving. "I could have been an abnormal."

- "You are an abnormal…" Kate answered, rolling her eyes and trying to get out of his hold on her.

- "Yes, but I'm a nice abnormal."

- "You're going to be a dead abnormal if you don't Let. Me. Go." Kate said frustrated, wiggling around under him trying to escape. This caused him to tighten his hold on her arm and become serious.

- "Don't do that." This made her stop and look up at him confused.

- "Do what?"

- "Squirm. Just…Stay still." Henry answered.

- "Okay…" She said, still confused, damn that last tequila shot. "Dude, come on, my -butt's freezing here, let me go."

- "But I didn't get my prize yet." Henry replied, smug look back in place.

- "What prize? And for what?"

- "For getting here first, I beat you."

- "Oh you've got to be kidding me, I totally got here first." Kate scoffed.

- "Oh yeah? Then why are you the one pinned down on the grass?" Henry laughed, his grin smugger then ever.

- "Because you suck!" Kate replied, struggling again, but it was useless, not only was he stronger then her, he kinda had the upper hand in their situation. She was stuck. Giving up, she sighed. "Fine, what do you want?"

Henry smiled at this and looked down at her for a while, as if thinking. Bringing his hands from her writs to her hands he interlaced their fingers and leaned down to whisper, eyes never leaving hers.

- "This."

Before Kate could even try to come up with any thought, be it coherent or not, Henry was kissing her, his lips warm and soft against the cool wind around them. Kate sighed and he took the opportunity to open her mouth to his questioning tongue and taste her. At the same time Kate was doing her own exploring, he tasted of tequila, beer, mint – probably a gum – and something she couldn't put her finger on, but was unmistakably Henry.

Eventually she remembered that there was such a thing as breathing and sadly pulled away to catch her breath. One of them moaned as the kiss broke, or maybe both, she didn't really know anymore. He leaned his forehead to lightly rest on her own and Kate stared up at him, bringing one of their intertwined hands to gently stroke his face. He gave her one last quick kiss before getting up and pulling both of them to their feet.

Putting his arm around her shoulders for the last time that night, he steered them towards the front door of the Sanctuary. No words were exchanged and the last thing Kate thought before they reached her room and he captured her lips again, closing the door behind them, was that she didn't know how it had started, but she certainly knew how it was going to end.

- THE END -