Alex poured herself a cup of coffee from the cafetiere that sat on the kitchen work surface. In her old life, she'd scored a daily caffeine fix from one of the many chains that had sprouted across London in nineties. Her attempts to get a good cup of coffee in 1981 had been fruitless and in the end she'd given up and invested in a bean grinder to make her own. She thought back wistfully to the oversized armchairs, vertiginous stools and steel countertops in the coffee shop near her old office. Funny how you don't miss something till it's gone.

The caffeine wasn't helping her mood. Inside she was boiling, still livid about her earlier argument with Gene. How dare he be so rude to her! It would have been bad enough under normal circumstances, but now – after all that had happened – would it have killed him to have treated her a bit more sensitively? Bastard.

It didn't help that it had been so bloody good. Who'da thought? She'd long known there was more to Gene than the hulking, brutish copper that most of the world saw. Still waters and all that. But she'd still been surprised – very happily – by his skill in drawing such wonderful sensations from her body.

She'd given herself to him completely, been so captivated by him that she'd have done whatever he asked. So when he demanded that she beg, she hadn't even paused. It wasn't until later that she'd realised he'd given nothing in return. He'd witnessed her total capitulation while ensuring she breached none of his own defences. Did he get off on making her feel humiliation? Did he enjoy seeing her squirm? It hurt. No more thinking about it.

She ground her teeth in frustration. He'd acted like such a bloody boor. She'd never intended to take advantage of their intimacy – if she could call it that – to get her old job back. She'd only been fetching her stuff, like she'd said in her note. Bastard. So she'd spent the day reviewing her transfer options. The completed form was lying on the coffee table, requiring only the signature of one DCI Gene Hunt. She'd take it over the road tomorrow. Leave it with Viv. When the Quattro wasn't parked outside.

Enough with the coffee. Not doing the trick. Where's that bottle of red?

She was just polishing off the second glass when she heard the knock on the door. Of course it was Gene. He wouldn't give her a moment's peace. He's got her at a disadvantage; for a change, he was stone cold sober. She raised her eyebrows but waved him through.

Gene was finding it hard to meet her eyes. He stood uncomfortably in front of her coffee table, hands in trouser pockets, reaching for the right words. He'd put her note carefully in his breast pocket and driven straight to her flat but now he was here he was struggling to know what to say. He didn't even know what he hoped to achieve; just knew he couldn't leave things on such an angry note. Especially now he knew he'd made such a stupid mistake.

Alex stared across at him, the picture of cool. His eyes scanned the room, searching for inspiration, and he caught sight of the paperwork lying on the coffee table. Recognised the logo with a jolt. Sat down on Alex's sofa and began to leaf through it. "Help yourself," she muttered sarcastically.

She stared down at him from the doorway, watching as he read through at her transfer application. He looked ruffled, distracted, sexier than she could ever remember. How could she still want him? Her mind flashed back to their angry exchange that morning. Nope. Even remembering what an absolute git he'd been, she still wanted to drag him by the lapels into the bedroom. It made her feel a little hollow inside.

Gene coughed. "You're going, then?" She sat down next to him with a sigh.

"You've made it quite clear, on more than one occasion, that you want me out. Frankly, after last night and this morning, I can't wait to leave." She wondered if she sounded believable.

Hurt flashed briefly across Gene's eyes but he hid the emotion before she had the chance to place it. "Probably for the best," he mumbled. After all, it was proving hard enough to do this once, let alone go through the same painful exercise every day at the office.

"You know, Gene," she snapped, "I'd have been happy with a one night stand." She thought her lies were getting better with practice. "You didn't have to get all commitment-phobic on me this morning," she went on. "I wasn't about to stick a 'sold' sticker on you."

"You couldn't find one big enough." God, had they even been in the same room? For him it had been wonderful, glorious, triumphant. Life changing, if she'd let him. For her, apparently, it had been so bad she didn't ever want to do it again. He took a deep breath. Get this over with, Hunt. Say what you've got to say and get out.

"Got your note."

She looked at him quizzically.

"The one you left this morning. Got it tonight. Must've fallen on the floor. Didn't see it."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So. Erm. Sorry. Shouldn't have shouted at you this morning. Thought – well, you know. Thought you'd just gone. Was wrong." Fuck, she looked amazing. He wanted her so much. Even more than before. Had to get out of there.

Alex looked on uncertainly as he put his hands on his thighs, leaned forward, about to leave. She didn't want him to go. Wanted to kiss every inch of him. Failing that, at least get back to where they were before. His apology had warmed and fortified her. She asked quickly, "Have you eaten?" Seeing the surprise dart across his features, she hurried on, "I could get something from Luigi's. Bring it up. Um. Shame to part on bad terms. I'll be gone soon enough."

Alex turned to face him and caught the uncertainty in his expression. He was going to say no. Great. One final indignity to complete this sorry chapter of her 1981 world.

In fact, it was the look in her eyes that did for him. He knew he should be sensible, sign her form and make his excuses, but when she looked at him, turned those hazel eyes upon him, he was lost. She'd be out of his life tonight, whatever happened. A few more hours with her? He couldn't say no.

Gene paced around her small sitting room while Alex disappeared downstairs for provisions. He resisted the urge to peer into her bedroom, settling for running his fingers across the white leather of the jacket she'd flung carelessly on the back of a chair. He jumped away guiltily when she returned but she was too busy balancing cartons and bottles to notice.

"I'll get this stuff onto plates. Make yourself comfortable."

He took possession of the fresh bottle of wine and opened it while she served up the food. They ate quietly, both keen to keep the conversation to neutral topics. Alex reminisced about cases they'd worked on together. Gene quizzed her about her transfer choices. To her surprise, she found herself relaxing, enjoying his company now that the end between them was near. Almost like their dinner the night before her parents had been killed. She'd thought then she'd be leaving him but had been wrong. She wouldn't be wrong this time though.

Gene pushed his empty plate away and leaned back in his chair. Food was all eaten, wine finished, coffee drunk. No more excuses to keep him here. A dignified retreat was called for; he hoped he'd be able to manage it.

"So, er – where's those forms then? You'll be wanting my autograph."

He wandered across to the coffee table, pulled out a pen and signed where she pointed, picking up the completed paperwork. "I'll put them in the internal post for you tomorrow then, shall I?" He tucked the forms into his breast pocket then shrugged into his overcoat, walking slowly towards the door.

Alex swallowed and forced a smile to her lips. "Bye then." She stood awkwardly in front of him, putting out a hand for him to shake. He took it carefully in his own, sending a shiver along her arm that finished somewhere near her heart.

"Bye, Bolly." They stood close, not moving, neither one keen to pull away. "It's been… well. Interesting." Eyebrows raised in wry acknowledgement of the understatement.

"Certainly has," she agreed with a brightness she didn't feel. He pulled her ever-so-slightly closer, leant down and brushed a gentle kiss across her cheek. Closing her eyes to savour the moment, Alex instinctively angled her body towards his, pulling him into a clumsy hug. "Bye," she said again, one hand still encased in his, squashed between their bodies, the other wrapped tight around his shoulder.

Gene couldn't move, his face pressed into the curve of her neck, his body on fire at the nearness of hers. It took all his self control to draw back from her embrace. He mumbled, "See you around," and turned to walk out of the door and out of her life.

She surprised herself as much as him when she put out a hand to prevent him leaving. He turned back slowly. For once, she didn't have words. Instead, she took his face in her hands and pulled him to her, kissing him, cautiously at first, as if afraid of rejection, but then with growing intensity, until there was no doubt about her desire.

His tongue slid against hers, teeth nipping her lips, mouth capturing her small gasps and moans. Her hands slipped to the back of his head, entangled in his hair, pulling him ever closer. He gripped her waist, urging her body to his, till he could feel every soft curve against him. With an effort, he wrenched his mouth from hers, framing the question. "Thought you only wanted a one night stand, Bolly?"

"Two," she panted, her mouth seeking his once more. "Could manage two, I think."

It would have to do for now. He pushed her against the wall in the hallway, trailing his lips from the corner of her mouth to her throat, nibbling at her neck, sucking gently on her earlobe. He pulled her top from her jeans and slid his hands beneath, smiling as she sucked in a breath. She helped slip the top over her head, dropping it behind him, gasping as he kissed the curve of her breast.

Her bra was next to the floor and Gene groaned with pleasure as he stared at her tits. He brushed the pads of his thumbs across her nipples, fascinated by how they tautened under his touch, triumphant at the passion he could see flaming in Alex's eyes. He replaced a thumb with his lips, drawing the tight peak into his mouth, sucking with an almost ferocious intensity. He felt her knees buckle under his onslaught and gripped her tighter, shaping her to him.

Alex could feel him hard against her and she ground her hips into him, trying to ease the ache growing within her. Gene muffled a curse against her breasts and held her still. He desperately needed to maintain control. Alex's frustration growing, she pushed away from the wall, leading him by the hand to the bedroom, pausing for heated kisses, and for zips and buttons, shedding garments along the way.

By the time they collapsed together on the bed they were naked, hands and mouths seeking every inch of exposed flesh, driving each other on. Gene rolled Alex onto her back, his tongue swirling around her nipple, fingers stroking between her legs. She gasped as he slid a finger into her, his thumb gently circling her clit. He began to ease his fingers slowly in and out, Alex's knees parting wider to accommodate the thrusts.

"God, Gene, please," Alex moaned, running her hands across his shoulders, pulling him closer. He slid from her grasp, planting hot, wet kisses across her rib cage, in the dip of her waist, the inside of her thigh. God, even the smell of her turned him on. He breathed her in, her scent filling him, urging him on for more. She raised a knee and he caught her leg, lifting it over his shoulder, opening her fully to him. She was slick with desire and he lapped her up, his tongue exploring her, dipping in and out, his lips sucking on her clit. "Gene," she gasped, "can't…" Slipping two fingers inside, licking and nuzzling her clit, she bucked beneath him, unable to hold on. She cried his name as she came, convulsing around his fingers, throbbing against his tongue.

He held her as she came down, relaxing slowly into his embrace. She sent a satisfied grin in his direction, trailing a hand across his chest, flicking at his nipple with a fingernail. His breathing quickened as she swept her hand downwards, leaning over to brush her lips against his chest, taking hold of his aching cock.

He groaned as she held him, stroking slowly, encircling him, palming his balls, running a finger around the head. "Fucking hell, Alex," he groaned, lost in the sensation, drowning in the feeling of her hand on his body. He only became aware of what else she was planning as she inched down his body, her tongue at his breastbone, darting at his bellybutton, heading even lower.

Pulling away from her, he tried to roll her back onto her back, countering her attempts to move on top of him. She resisted, wanting to reach her goal, desperate to taste him. A battle raged within Gene as desire fought with his instinctive need for control. She felt amazing, he was so fucking horny, wanted her so much he could barely think. But he couldn't afford to lower his guard, no matter how great the temptation. He gathered his resolve and flipped her onto her back, ignoring her protests, determined to drive any discontented thoughts from her mind.

Nibbling, teasing and caressing her body into submission, he smiled in satisfaction as she moaned and writhed beneath him. He covered every inch of her in kisses, branding her, marking her as his. He revelled in her slickness, knowing that he'd brought her to the brink. Nudging her knees further apart, he guided himself into her, smiling as she gasped at his entry. He knew he fit her perfectly, and as she tightened around him he felt the last of his control slipping away.

Thrusting slowly, instinct taking over, he groaned her name into her shoulder, no longer able to disguise his need.

"Yes, Gene, God, yes," she breathed, raising her hips in time with his thrusts, taking him deeper, angling her body to increase the friction on her clit. "Gonna… now," she cried, tightening around him, clinging onto his shoulders, pushing ever closer against him.

Her climax rocked him, sent him spiralling over the edge, and he spilled into her, her name on his lips, visions of her burnt into his brain, the scent and feel of her crowding his senses, till there was only the two of them, there in that moment, collapsed and sated in each other's arms.