Chapter 3: Something to Talk About

"So, what did make you change your mind?" Harry asked Nikki. It was two days after Nikki had agreed to live with him, and the pair of them were in the layout room examining all the evidence from the Jasmine Smart case. Nikki looked up at him from the report she was mulling over.

"Change my mind about what?"

"Moving into my apartment."

"Oh. Umm... it's not important." She blushed and Harry frowned at her.

"Come on, what is it?" he pressed.

"Nothing really. It's just..." Nikki gazed into the contents of her mug as she replied. "I thought it would be nice sometimes – when I've had a tough day at work or something – to go home and have someone familiar there to talk to. It's horrible going home to an empty flat after a long day."

"I haven't thought about it like that," said Harry, contemplating the idea. "But you're right. It can be lonely sometimes."

"Exactly." Nikki smiled at him. "You do realise that you'll be helping me move though, don't you?"

"Oh, have you found somewhere to live?"

Harry hadn't heard Leo approach, but he was stood watching them with a smile on his face. Nikki glanced at Harry before saying slowly, "Err... yeah. With Harry."

"With Harry?" Leo repeated. "As in, live with him?"

"Yes, as in live with him," Nikki smiled. Leo looked between them, completely surprised.

"But... I didn't know you were..."

"In his spare room Leo!" Nikki interrupted suddenly, and now Harry fully understood why Leo was so shocked. He laughed at the whole misunderstanding and the expression of dawning comprehension that spread over Leo's face.

"Ohh," he grinned. "I thought you meant you were moving in together, like as a couple."

"Definitely not," both Harry and Nikki said in unison.

Leo raised his eyebrows at them and Nikki said, "It just seemed like the most practical and suitable solution."

"No, it's a good idea, I agree," Leo nodded. "I just... it's hilarious." He started to laugh, and Harry threw Nikki a confused look.

"What's hilarious?" Harry asked, frowning at his boss. Leo looked about to say something, but he shook his head instead.

"It doesn't matter," he told them. "Forget I said anything."

Then he walked back into his office, still chuckling to himself. Nikki raised her eyebrows at Harry.

"What's happened to Leo?" she asked him quietly.

"Perhaps he's having a midlife crisis," Harry muttered, causing Nikki to snort with laughter.

*

The following Friday afternoon and Nikki was all moved in. Well, her stuff was. She was still at her house sorting out a few bits while Harry had been assigned the task of driving all her heavy boxes back and lugging them up to his apartment. He stood in his lounge and surveyed the scene, wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

There were cardboard boxes scattered in random places, each one clearly labelled and well sealed with brown parcel tape. Already he could smell her perfume gradually seeping its way into every corner of his apartment. Not that Harry really minded. It had become such a familiar smell to him over the last few years that he almost found it comforting.

Harry wandered down to what was his spare room. The double bed had been stripped of all sheets and covers and he'd emptied out the wardrobe ready for Nikki to invade it with all her possessions. There were boxes in here too, stacked up in the corner. Harry sighed, wondering just what he'd let himself in for. Part of him was nervous, for some strange reason, and he couldn't help but keep hearing the words that Nikki had said to him originally, "...it's me and you. It would be a little weird."

He shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts and decided to move some more of the boxes from the hall into Nikki's room. He'd already almost tripped over them twice. Entering the hall again he stopped in front of three and tentatively lifted each one. When he was satisfied he'd found the lightest he bent down and picked it up. However, just as he'd entered the room again, the bottom of the box gave way and the contents spilled to the floor. Harry groaned and threw the box onto the bed. Then he noticed what was in it. The reason that that particular box had been so light was because it contained nothing other than underwear.

Harry felt a hot flush rise up his neck and he looked pointedly at the wall. But then he realised that if Nikki came home and found her underwear on the floor, she wouldn't be very happy, so he got down on his knees and gingerly picked up something pink and lacy. A thong. Perfect. Harry pulled a face. It was just a scrap of material, hardly very modest for a woman like Nikki. Plus, it would not be very useful when winter came around.

"What on earth has she got this thing for?" he muttered to himself.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Harry spun round to see Nikki stood in the doorway, watching him with an amused expression on her face. He stood up quickly.

"Having fun?" she asked him, eyeing the pile on the floor behind him and obviously stifling a grin. Harry could feel his cheeks burning.

"I err... I was just – it broke and I..." he stuttered, getting more and more flustered. Then he realised what was still in his hand. He reached out his arm and Nikki tugged the piece of material from his grip before throwing it onto the bed. She folded her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrows at him.

"Okay, I realise how this looks, and I promise I'm not being pervy or anything," he said quickly. "I was just carrying the box into here and the bottom broke. Look!" He grabbed the box from the bed and thrust it into Nikki's face. She tutted and pushed it away.

"I believe you, thousands wouldn't," she grinned, apparently taking pleasure in the fact that he was so mortified.

"Sorry," he added, rather pathetically.

"Harry, it's okay," she told him with a warm smile. "I really don't mind. Just... stop staring at them."

Harry hadn't even realised that his gaze was directed to the pile of underwear on the floor, and he hastily snapped his eyes back to Nikki's face. A giggle escaped her lips and she grabbed Harry's wrist, dragging him from the room.

"I left a suitcase or two outside in the corridor. Why don't you go and bring them in before one of the neighbours trips over and hates me before I've even moved in properly?" she said slowly, like she was speaking to someone of inferior intelligence. However, the smile on her face betrayed her.

"I think I should do that," Harry muttered.

"I think you should too," Nikki grinned. He nodded and left her standing in the lounge as he went into the corridor outside and spotted two, very heavy looking, pink suitcases. Leaning against the wall he blew out a long breath, shutting his eyes. That was so embarrassing, he had just wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. Nikki must think he was such an idiot, if she didn't already. Hang on – Harry's eyes snapped open – why did he care so much what she thought about him? They had been friends for five years, she wasn't suddenly going to hate him because he had seen a pair or two of her knickers. And besides, she had been pretty amused about it all.

Harry straightened up and sighed before he took the handle of the both the suitcases and wheeled them into his apartment.

"Bloody hell," he exclaimed when he realised how heavy they were. "What do you have in here?"

"Just all of my clothes. They'd better all fit in that wardrobe."

Harry just tutted, the effort at trying to haul the cases into the bedroom without scratching his wooden floor too much to be able to think of a witty remark.

*

A few hours later and Harry's apartment was free of boxes. He could actually walk around again without the fear of stubbing his toe. Deciding that the lounge – which Nikki had told Harry to tidy – was sufficiently so, he realised just how hungry he was. A takeaway seemed like the most suitable option right now, because it meant that all he'd have to do is get up and answer the door. However, it wasn't just him any more, Nikki was here now.

Harry walked down the hall and stopped outside her bedroom. He leant against the door frame, unbeknownst to Nikki, and watched her as she struggled to cram her clothes into the wardrobe, cursing quietly to herself.

Eventually, however, she must have felt his eyes on her, because she glanced over her shoulder. A reluctant smile spread across her lips.

"I can't fit them all in."

"So I see," Harry grinned.

"You're going to have to get a bigger wardrobe," she told him. Harry walked into the room a bit more.

"Err, no. You're going to have to get a bigger wardrobe. This is your room now, not mine. This is our apartment."

Nikki sighed. "Fine, I'll get a new wardrobe."

Harry chuckled. "Good, now we've got that sorted, I was going to ask you if you wanted a takeaway? Celebrate your first night here and all that."

"You mean you can't be bothered to cook," she laughed. "Just because I've moved into your apartment, it doesn't mean that I can't still see right through you, Harry."

"Okay, so what am I thinking right now?" he joked. Nikki considered him for a moment in mock thoughtfulness.

"You're thinking: I hope she chooses Chinese, but I know she prefers Indian and she'll say that just to annoy me," Nikki grinned.

Harry had actually been thinking something along those lines a couple of minutes previously. He smiled and shook his head at Nikki.

"I'll get the Indian menu then," he conceded, causing Nikki to laugh. "Are you having what you always have?"

"Of course. Why break the routine?"

"You're so boring," Harry laughed, but he left the room and walked into his kitchen, tugging the menu off the front of the fridge.

An hour later and Harry and Nikki were sat watching the television, having just finished their food. Harry was pleasantly full and content, although it was strange to think that Nikki wouldn't be going home in an hour or so, but going into his spare room instead, and would be for the foreseeable future.

"It feels so surreal, knowing that this is my home now," Nikki said suddenly. Harry gaped at her.

"I was just thinking that!"

"Oh, I am on a roll," she laughed. "Maybe I could become a part-time pathologist, part-time psychic."

Now it was Harry's turn to laugh.

"Talking of work, do you have to go in tomorrow?" Nikki asked him.

"Yes. Do you?"

"No, I've got the day off. I asked Leo if I could so that I can make sure everything's sorted here. I still have stuff to unpack you know," she told him, picking up one of Harry's aviator magazines and flicking through it absent-mindedly.

"Did you bring sheets and pillows and stuff with you, or do you need some? Because I have spare," Harry asked her.

"No, I have all that, thank you. I've already made my bed."

"Well then you can lie in it," Harry joked, and Nikki threw him a withering look.

"You know, you're really not as funny as you think you are," she told him, but the smile playing on her lips told Harry that she was winding him up.

"Oh, you know I am," he grinned, forcing himself up to clean away their takeaway remnants.

"Right, I'm going to bed," Nikki told him, also getting up. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, good night."

Nikki smiled at him and left the room. Harry watched her retreating back until he saw her enter her bedroom. A smile spread across his face. He was already enjoying having Nikki around, and she'd only been there one afternoon. However, his smile vanished when he realised that from now on he was going to spend his entire life actually waiting to use his own bathroom.


Another chapter for you all! Two in as many days, blimey. It's because it's half-term you see, I love it. :D
Anyway, the next chapter should be a bit funnier. I have an idea, I just need to work out how to write it down without it sounding stupid. Hmm...
Thank you for all the lovely reviews I've been getting for this story, by the way. They actually do seem to make me write quicker!
So yeah, review again for me?