Chapter 9 - Date Night

As Burgess stepped out of the shower, she couldn't help but sigh. Another Saturday night was going by and she had no plans. She was never the type of person who needed to be entertained all the time. She was generally happy spending quiet evenings at home, but it was the third Saturday night in a row that she was stuck at home alone. She wrapped a towel around her body and wiped the condensation off the mirror. She stared at her reflection, but couldn't stop thinking about Ruzek. She knew it wasn't his fault. He was working, just like he had been working the previous three Saturdays. The worst part was, she knew even if he wasn't working, there wasn't much they could do together outside of the apartment. Sure, they could go to Molly's with the rest of the police and fire departments, but they always had to pretend that they were just friends. They were afraid even to go to other bars and restaurants in the area for fear of running into someone they knew. That was the worst part of keeping their relationship a secret. The only place they could act like a couple was in the privacy of their own homes. Keeping the secret from Voight was making her miserable.

Sighing again, Burgess began drying herself off. She wrapped the towel around her hair and grabbed a robe. After making her way into the kitchen, she grabbed a beer, popped the top off, and took a long swig. She glanced at the TV, wondering if there was anything good on. Usually Saturday nights were full of documentaries and movies for single women that often had some kind of Prince Charming character. As far as Burgess was concerned, she had found as close to Prince Charming as she was going to get. The only problem, of course, was that he was a big fat secret. Wondering if the book she had just started the weekend before was going to be any better than the TV, Burgess walked into her bedroom. She flopped down on the bed and noticed her cell phone on the table next to the bed. She touched the screen just to see if she had missed any calls. To her surprise, there was a text message from Ruzek.

'Pick you up at seven. Wear something nice.'

"What the hell does that mean?" She asked out loud. He had never texted her anything like that before. Usually he stuck to just saying hello since they barely had time to say hi to each other some days. Burgess immediately texted back.

'What's going on?'

A minute passed before her phone buzzed.

'It's a surprise.' Another ten seconds later and a second message appear. 'Just do it. Trust me.'

Burgess glanced at the clock on her phone. It was 6:07. She had no idea what Ruzek had in mind, but she didn't care. She was just glad she was going to get out of the apartment and the idea of him planning a surprise for her made her smile. After turning on her favorite Pandora station, she scrambled to her closet, trying to decide what she was going to wear.

At exactly 7:00, there was a knock on Burgess' door. She looked herself over in the full-length mirror in her bathroom one more time before she walked to the door. When she opened the door, she saw Ruzek standing in the hallway in a classic, black suit and tie with a dozen red roses in his hand. She had never seen him so dressed up and she liked it.

"Damn Burgess, you clean up nice," he complimented, looking her up and down. She was wearing a black, halter-top dress that fell just above her knees. She had traded her usual black sneakers in for a pair of red, strappy high-heels. Her hair was down, framing her face. She had taken the time to create a smoky eye and her lips were dark red.

"You don't look so bad yourself."

"These are for you."

He handed her the roses. She brought them to her nose and sniffed them.

"Thank you, they're beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

She couldn't help but blush. She knew that Ruzek was attracted to her. That's part of the reason they landed in bed in the first place. But he had never actually told her he thought she was beautiful. She made a mental note to get dressed up more often.

"Come on in," she said.

"Thanks."

She took the flowers in the kitchen and got a vase. After filling it with water, she put the flowers in and put them in the middle of the table. When she turned around, she saw Ruzek leaning against the counter, staring at her.

"Enjoying the view?" She questioned.

"You have no idea."

"So are you going to stand there drooling over me all night or are you going to tell me what we're doing?"

"Nope," he answered.

"Nope…what?"

"I'm not going to stop drooling over you because you're gorgeous. And I'm not going to tell you what we're going to do. I'm going to show you."

"You know we can't be seen by anybody we know. If someone from the department recognizes us…"

"I've got it covered, Burgess," he assured her.

"Ok. Should I be scared?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"Don't you trust me?" He responded, acting innocent.

"Completely."

"Then let's go."

He put out his hand. She slipped her hand into his and they began to walk out together. Although they had never actually held hands before, it felt so normal. Burgess definitely could get used to it.

More than three hours later, Burgess and Ruzek were walking hand in hand along the shore of Lake Michigan. They had a romantic dinner at the Signature Room at the 95th, high above the streets of Chicago. The views were amazing, but Ruzek had eyes only for Burgess. He hadn't been able to stop looking at her. They drank expensive wine, ate an amazing meal, and talked about everything from their childhood memories to their colleagues at the department. It was after sharing some chocolate crème brulee for dessert that Ruzek told her their night wasn't over.

The lake was beautiful in the moonlight. It was the perfect setting for a romantic walk. Ruzek led her over to a bench looking out over the lake. Thankful to give her feet a rest, since she wasn't used to walking in heels, Burgess sat beside him. He never let go of her hand.

"Are you cold?" He asked, noticing her shiver.

"A little."

Ruzek immediately pulled off his suit coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything."

"You're welcome."

"I mean it, Adam. This was…amazing."

"You're amazing," he replied. "I know it's been tough with keeping this a secret. It's bad not enough not being able to touch you or kiss you at work. It sucks that much more to not be able to do it at Molly's or in front of any of our friends."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?"

"It's my fault. I'm the reason we have to be a secret."

"It's not your fault. I get it. It's not fair that Voight thinks you're just trying to…"

"Sleep my way to the top?" She filled in. "I wouldn't do that. I want you to know that."

"I know. I just hate not being able to kiss you there. Do you know how hard it is for me to keep my hands off of you?"

She sighed. "I know. But if Voight were to find out…"

"I know. I still hate it."

"Me too. But you still didn't have to do all this," she said.

"Yes I did. I needed to show you how much you mean to me."

"And how much do I mean to you?" She asked.

"You understand me. You understand what makes me happy and what makes me tick. You understand the job. You understand that it's more than a job. I've never had that with anybody else."

"I feel the same way."

"You are beautiful and smart and sexy and a damn good cop." He took her hand. "I'm in love with you, Kim."

A tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't bother to brush it away.

"I love you, too."

They both looked at each other, smiling. Ruzek leaned towards her and kissed her. It started slow, but quickly grew in intensity. His jacket slipped off her shoulders as his hands ran up and down her back. He wanted to feel her naked skin against his fingertips.

"Maybe we should go back to your place," she whispered.

"I love the way you think."

She stood up, picking his coat up off the ground. She looked over her shoulder to find he was still sitting on the bench, staring at her.

"Are you coming?" She asked.

"I'm just sitting back, enjoying the view."

"You're a pig," she commented.

"But I'm your pig."

She smiled before launching herself into his arms.

Author's Note: I've always wanted to see the two of them actually go out on a real date in the show. Maybe someday it'll happen. Until then, I hope you enjoyed my version of their "first date."