A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews so far, I really hope you enjoy this chapter! (Sidenote: reviews make my day 3000 times better)

Disclaimer: I do not own Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Amy's apartment, 12.30 a.m.

Amy doesn't know why she drank so much. She hates being drunk, especially around her work colleagues. They always mock her when she drinks because they think she's incapable of having fun.

She tries not to think about how stupid she's been as she feels Jake's arm around her waist; his grip is tight and his skin is warm against hers. She leans into him. He smells faintly of smoke and his usual musky cologne. She smiles as she inhales.

"You smell nice," she comments absent-mindedly.

She feels Jake laughing under her.

"Oh, I should definitely be filming this."

Amy thinks he's making a joke at her expense but her brain is too muddled to care. So instead she just laughs with him and enjoys the sound of his voice.

Five days before.

Jake didn't think that there was anything Amy could do to make him like her any more than he does and then Holt's Birthday party comes along and changes everything.

He arrives late (despite the Sarge warning him not to), announcing his apology as soon as he joins the group of his fellow workmates who are gathered outside Holt's porch.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he says, catching his breath. "I am three –" he checks his watch, " –ty five minutes late. Yikes!"

He is about to make some kind of lame joke about his lateness but then his eyes snag on Amy who is standing not too far from him, frowning at him in disapproval. She barely ever wears much makeup to the precinct but tonight it looks like she's pulling out all the stops to impress Captain Holt. Her pouty lips are painted the same red as the colour of her dress which he can see peeking out the top of her buttoned-up coat. He tries not to stare at her mouth, honestly he does, but her frown means that the corners of her lips are curled downwards in the most infuriatingly adorable manner.

"What did I say about being on time?" Terry exclaims in frustration, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

"I had to –"

"I don't want to hear it," the Sarge speaks over Jake, who had been planning to explain that he had made a wine stop on the way over. "Let's go inside. And remember everyone: be appropriate."

Jake watches in amusement as Amy nods to herself, looking focused and determined as if she were psyching herself up for a football match or something. Boyle nods too, following the Sargent up the steps and through Holt's front door. The rest of the Nine-Nine crew trail behind.

"It's so beautiful," he hears Amy murmur as she steps over the threshold.

Rosa keeps her arms folded across her chest as she glances around seeming unimpressed. Jake has to admit, it's a pretty nice place. But it doesn't hold his attention for long.

He can't keep his eyes off of Amy.

She's too distracted by checking out Holt's house as she slowly pulls her jacket off to notice him staring. Jake can't remember the last time he saw her in a dress. The red gown she has on makes him feel slightly dizzy.

Her eyes are lit up in awe as she sweeps the room, her mouth hanging open slightly in excitement. She looks so perfectly perfect. It's completely unfair.

Jake knows that it makes him sound kind of gross and sleazy but he can't help noticing how Amy's dress hugs her curves in all the right places; it's tight enough around her waist and bust to make him shiver lustfully but the high neckline means that enough of her is covered up to provide him with a sense of curiosity.

Jake suddenly feels his body tense and his blood rush southwards. He clears his throat and quickly averts his eyes from Amy's direction so that she doesn't notice how embarrassingly turned on he is by seeing her in one simple outfit.

She turns to him with a bewildered smile and raises her eyebrows.

"It's pretty, huh?" she asks, gesturing to the enormity of Holt's house which surrounds them.

Jake doesn't take his eyes off her when he answers.

"It's more than pretty."

Amy can't quite believe how nice the Captain's house is. Sure, she had been expecting fancy but this is… fancy. She stares at the high ceilings and framed artwork and chandelier style lighting.

She can feel Jake's eyes on her as she examines the place. She tries to pretend that she doesn't notice it but it's kind of distracting. What is he staring at her for anyway? Has she got something on her face? She double-checks that her dress isn't tucked into her underwear.

Nope. Everything seems to be as it's meant to.

Before she can ask Jake why he's looking at her so intently, Holt appears with who she can only assume to be Kevin and greets them.

"Captain!" she exclaims in elation.

"I'd like you to meet my husband, Kevin," Holt replies, nodding towards the man on his left.

"It's so nice to finally meet you," Amy chirps in response with the brightest smile she can muster. She knows it's a little over the top but she really wants the Captain and his husband to like her.

The rest of the Nine-Nine murmur similar replies but she isn't paying them too much attention. Jake is still looking at her. Why is he doing that? She feels her cheeks warm up self-consciously.

"Likewise," Kevin replies with a small smile. "Anyway, we'd better go and mingle. Help yourself to food."

Amy nods enthusiastically as the pair turn to leave, taking a breath to calm her nerves.

"They didn't even take my wine," Jake whinges.

Amy looks down at the bottle in his hand and suddenly has an idea.

"Why don't I take it for you?" she suggests, pulling the wine out of his grip.

"Take it where?" Jake asks in confusion.

"I'm going to keep an eye on Gina," Rosa is abruptly beside Amy, muttering to her. "Make sure Peralta doesn't do anything stupid."

Amy tries not to laugh.

"I'm on it."

"Hey, I don't need babysitting!" Jake protests to Rosa but she walks away without acknowledging his comment.

Amy looks around and realises that the squad have already split up; Charles has headed over to the food (naturally), Rosa is, as promised, sticking with Gina, Hitchcock and Scully are sitting on the couch and Terry has started a conversation with a couple of professor-looking guys. That just leaves her and Jake.

"Okay, I'm taking this to the kitchen," she tells him gesturing to the wine bottle and heading in the direction she thinks will take her there.

"Why don't you just leave it on the table?" Jake suggests, his eyebrows pulled together.

"Because…" Amy trails off trying to come up with an excuse. "Because –"

"Oh!" he interrupts. "I get it! You want to go and stalk Holt. Right?"

"No!" she defends quickly. She sighs straight afterwards though so it's fairly easy to tell that she's lying. "Okay fine," she admits. "I just want to have a look around. Is that really so bad?"

Without waiting for him to respond, she continues walking towards the kitchen, expertly manoeuvring her way through throngs of guests.

"Amy!" she hears Jake hissing after her as he tries to keep up.

She reaches the kitchen a second later. It's just as impressive as the rest of the house – sparklingly polished surfaces and tile flooring. Amy puts the wine down on the nearest counter and opens the cupboard next to her, feeling a smile work its way onto her face as she inspects the contents. It's perfectly ordered, just like her own cupboards at home.

Jake appears behind her a second later but she barely notices him, making her way through the Captain's cabinets to see what type of food he likes.

"Amy, you're acting crazy," Jake points out as he follows her around the room.

She disregards his comment, pulling her phone out to jot down some notes.

"They make their own hummus!"

Jake rolls his eyes, staying close to her as she makes her way around the room.

"Why are you following me?" Amy asks him absently as she realises that she and Holt have the same microwave. "I knew we had a lot in common!" she mumbles to herself.

"I am just making sure you don't do anything criminally insane," Jake explains.

Amy processes Jake's words and blinks a couple of times.

"Wait… you're babysitting me?"

Jake grins.

"I guess I am."

"No!" Amy retorts. "Rosa left me in change of you. You're the one who's a liability. Not me."

Jake snatches Amy's phone from her hand, and holds it high in the air so she can't grab it back.

"Learn how to make hummus," he reads from her list of notes, arching an eyebrow. "Admit it, Amy. You sound like some kind of stalker."

"No I don't," Amy objects sternly.

Jake just glares at her with raised eyebrows.

"I don't."

He shakes his head, clearly believing that she is in denial. She is not in denial.

At least not about Holt.

"Have you seen Santiago?" Jake asks Boyle as she scans the room for a ridiculously pretty Latina girl in a red dress. He swears, he only took his eye off of her for two seconds to get some food and she's disappeared.

"Why do you need her?" Boyle replies, putting on his a-few-octaves-too-high insinuating voice.

Jake sighs in exasperation. Whenever he brings up Amy recently, Boyle always tries to make out that Jake likes her.

"Rosa told me to look out for her tonight," he lies.

Boyle stares at Jake pointedly as if he doesn't believe him at all.

"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?" he puts forward instead of answering the original question.

Jake throws his hands in the air infuriatedly, taking a breath to calm himself. He doesn't want Boyle to know that he likes Amy. It makes the situation even more awkward than it already is.

"I'll go look for her myself," he finally decides, turning and storming away from Boyle.

Jake isn't looking for Amy because he likes her and wants another chance to look at her in her dress. He is looking for her because he wants to make sure that she isn't doing anything mental.

Right?

He doesn't exactly convince himself that what he's saying is true but before he can argue internally any longer, he catches sees a flash of red out the corner of his eye and swiftly follows it.

It's Amy – of course. Lurking by the staircase. He lingers behind a small crowd of people so that she can't see him.

What the hell is she doing?

In that same second, she quickly glances around and slips under the sign reading 'Please Stay Downstairs' which is blocking the entrance to the upper level.

"Dammit," he breathes to himself.

He knows he shouldn't be surprised – this is Amy. Once she puts her mind to something, she will stop at nothing before she achieves it. In this case, she wants to completely disrespect Holt's privacy in order to learn more about his personal life.

Jake finds himself wanting to laugh. No one but Amy Santiago would even try to do something this crazy.

With the same sense of subtlety that Amy had employed, Jake waits until no one is looking in his direction before jumping over the sign forbidding him to go upstairs. He jogs to the top, looking left and right down the landing. There's a white-painted wooden door hanging slightly ajar.

Marching over to it and creeping inside he sees that it's Holt's bedroom. Amy is standing in the centre of the room with her back to him, holding a bedside lamp upside down and inspecting the label printed on the bottom of it.

Jake does his best impression of Captain Holt.

"Detective Santiago," he says lowly and sternly in the Captain's voice.

She spins around instantly, almost dropping the lamp.

"Sir –" her eyes are wide and terrified. "Damn it, Peralta!" she growls when she sees that it's only Jake.

He laughs quietly.

"But seriously Amy, what would have done if it was Holt?"

"I…" she doesn't finish her sentence.

"Exactly," Jake confirms. "You have no reason to be up here! Come on. Let's go back down to the party."

"I can't just waste this opportunity!" she tells him, almost begging. Jake can barely focus on what she's saying when she makes that face. That stupid, pleading, cute face. "I barely know anything about him. How are we going to bond if he won't open up to me?"

Jake slaps a hand to his forehead in frustration.

"Do you not hear how mental you sound?" he cries. "Now put the lamp down so we can go downstairs."

Amy stands a little taller, setting her jaw adamantly and raising her chin.

"No."

"Come on, Amy."

"No. I'm not leaving."

"Yes you are," Jake snaps, walking over to where she stands. "Hand me the lamp." He holds his hand out, waiting.

"No. I won't."

"Give it to me!" he repeats, reaching forwards to grab it from her.

"Get off me Peralta!" she struggles to pull it away from him.

"Give it!" Jake grunts, yanking the lamp towards himself. His hands wrap around Amy's and he tries to pretend like it doesn't make his heart beat in double time.

"Never!"

"This is for your own good!"

Jake practically has Amy pressed up against the wall by this point. She steps on his foot with her deadly heels and he recoils, shooting her a hurt expression.

"Hey, there's no need to be mean!" he frowns.

Amy opens her mouth to answer quickly shuts it again as a couple of voices appear outside the door, getting louder.

"It's Holt!" Amy gasps. "What do we do?"

"Put the lamp down!" Jake exclaims in a whisper.

Finally she does as he asks. But now what? The voices get closer.

"Quick!" Amy decides, dropping to the ground and dragging Jake with her without giving him a choice. "Under the bed."

"What?!" Jake questions her as if she's gone mental.

There's only a small gap under the bed – enough to maybe fit them both but it's going to be a ridiculously difficult squeeze. Amy goes first, lying on her back and wiggling across so that there's enough space for Jake. He reluctantly follows her lead, rolling underneath and making sure that his entire body is covered.

"Get your hands off me," Amy hisses.

In the darkness he can just about make out her face just a few millimetres next to his.

"I'm not touching you!" he replies.

The bedroom door suddenly swings open, Holt and Kevin continuing their conversation as they stroll inside.

Amy jumps in surprise as they enter and flinches, kicking Jake in the shin.

"Ow!" he whispers.

"Shh!"

"I just want you to enjoy your Birthday," Kevin explains to Holt.

Then, without warning, the two men sit down on the bed, side by side. The mattress sinks lower, pressing against Jake's nose.

"Shit," he mouths to Amy, almost being suffocated by the fabric pushing onto his face.

She stares at him in panic.

"Don't move," she murmurs.

"I can't move." He rolls his eyes.

Amy tries to breathe silently; he can see her chest rising and falling rapidly next to him.

"I know," Holt answers Kevin above them. "And I am. Thank you for arranging this with me. I know you prefer it when we celebrate alone –"

"It's my pleasure," Kevin cuts him off, a smile in his voice.

As happy as Jake is that they're having a good night, he wishes they would move, sharpish.

"I know these things aren't really your scene," Holt continues. "I just thought you might want to come up here for a breather."

"I'm fine," Kevin insists. "This is your night, remember?"

Jake turns his head towards Amy; their noses almost touching. The two men continue their conversation but Jake isn't particularly listening. He can't focus on anything other than Amy's flustered expression, her eyes wide and unblinking. They're so close together; practically pressed against one another. It makes him nervous.

"How long are they going to stay here?" Jake mouths to her.

She shrugs helplessly, a small frown on her face.

"What?" Jake asks.

"I'm sorry for acting crazy tonight," she breathes mutely. Holt and Kevin are too into their own conversation to hear their hushed whispers. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

Jake just smiles.

"An apology? From Amy Santiago?" he teases.

She shakes her head in annoyance but Jake can see the shadow of a smile playing on her lips.

"It's fine," he adds in answer to her statement. "It's made tonight a bit more interesting, at least."

The conversation from above them draws to a close. There's a brief moment of silence where Amy and Jake collectively hold their breaths.

"I suppose we should get back," Kevin decides after a moment. "The guests will be wondering where we've got to."

"Yes," Holt agrees.

They both stand up again and the mattress lifts off of Jake's face, much to his relief.

He knows it's stupid, but Jake almost doesn't want the Captain to leave. Even though hiding under his bed is far from comfortable or convenient, it's kind of nice, in a sense. He can feel Amy's warm breath on his cheek, her hand gripping his arm in anxiousness.

Jake waits until Holt and Kevin walk out and the bedroom door closes behind them. Then he smiles over at Amy and sees that she's smiling too.

"That was close," she notes, not moving.

"Too close," he settles.

A few beats of silence follow.

"This is the first time I've ever hidden under a guy's bed," Amy observes.

"It's probably the first time you've been in a guy's bedroom at all," Jake mocks.

"Shut up, Peralta," she gapes, elbowing him in the side.

"Kidding," he assures her with a grin.

Amy tries to keep her expression stern but fails miserably and ends up laughing. Jake watches the movement of her red lips and notices how her eyes crinkle slightly.

Now would be the perfect opportunity to kiss her, Jake's subconscious points out to him. But then Amy lets go of his arm and clears her throat.

"I guess we should head back down," she declares, sliding herself out from under the bed.

Jake nods reluctantly, clambering to his feet and brushing himself off. Amy does the same; smoothing down her dress and dabbing at her lipstick.

"Does my hair look okay?" she checks with him.

"Your hair looks great," he guarantees her with a thumbs-up.

Amy smiles gratefully and makes her way to the door. Jake follows her, trying to forget the fact that his entire body feels heavy and weak and completely consumed by his feelings for Amy freaking Santiago.

He wishes he could stop. He wishes he could just not be kind of slightly in love with his partner.

But, at the moment anyway, that seems completely impossible.