1. I didn't forget about you.
2. I have 3/4 exams down for this week.
3. I told myself I wouldn't write... but this wouldn't leave me alone.

Ex-Wives & Kitchen Counters

Kate woke up to a large crash coming from somewhere in the apartment. Her eyes snapped open immediately and she lifted her head, looking around to see if anything had fallen to the ground off of one of the counters or not, but she couldn't see anything out of place.

She felt an arm wrap tightly around her waist and pull her back down towards the bed she had lifted herself off of.

"Whawasthat?" a tired voice whispered into her hair.

She tucked herself back into Rick's side, placing her head on his chest.

"Dunno," she mumbled back, placing a kiss against his skin, "Nothing in here."

She closed her eyes and tried to drift back into sleep. A quick glance at the clock on his side confirmed it was only 7:30, and today was her day off. They had had a late night the night before, so she thoroughly intended to spend as much time sleeping today as possible.

She may not even leave his sinfully comfortable bed today.

Sorry… their sinfully comfortable bed.

And if he just happened to want to spend all day in it with her?

Well, that would make for a very happy Kate.

"Don't you want to get up and investigate?" he said, his voice still laced with sleep.

"Do you really want me to get up?" she challenged.

He hummed, running his hand down her bare side to her hip before bringing it up and splaying it across her back to move up her spine. She unconsciously arched into him as his hand made its way to the spot between her shoulder blades, his fingers wrapping around the ends of her hair and twirling them around his fingers.

"Hm…" he said, "I guess I don't."

Kate hummed in reply, sliding one of her hands across his torso and pulling him closer to her.

"We're all alone," she whispered into his chest, and he could feel her smiling.

Alexis had just finished up her first year at Columbia and was spending the summer doing another internship at a law firm in the city. She was still trying to decide whether she wanted to be a lawyer, or if she wanted to go into forensic pathology (that brief internship with Lanie the year before had really made an impact). Rick supported her completely and even though she was gone Monday through Friday from 7 in the morning to sometimes as late as 8 at night, he was just glad she was home.

But for the next 2 days, Alexis was visiting some college friends down in North Carolina.

Martha had (finally) moved out the loft and into a small two bedroom apartment near her acting studio. She dropped by occasionally to say hello (Rick never took her key back) and occasionally stayed for the day, but this week she had taken some of her most enthusiastic students to an acting workshop at some remote location up in the Catskills.

With Esposito off as well, Rick knew that Lanie would not be calling on his girlfriend to go shopping or out to lunch, Ryan and Jenny were down in Georgia for her sister's wedding (Rick and Esposito had clapped him on the back in sympathy when they heard that. Tough luck man), and Jim was on a fishing expedition with some of his AA buddies to celebrate 11 years of being sober.

They truly were all alone.

No interruptions.

"It seems we are," Rick said back, shifting so he could open his eyes and look at her, "Did you have any plans?"

Kate shrugged against him.

"My plan doesn't involve leaving this bed all day."

Rick nodded, "I would be happy to let you sleep all day. You need it."

Kate shook her head, "No, in my plan there's little sleeping… And you don't get to leave either."

"Why Detective," Rick said softly, trying to hide the rough edge of his voice that her words had caused, "Do you plan on illegally detaining me?"

She sighed thoughtfully.

"I would, but my cuffs are in the safe," her fingers traced patterns along his side towards his hips, "and I would much rather you be an… active participant."

He groaned as her hand dipped lower down his abdomen. He reached out with a second hand and pulled her closer to him, so she was almost lying on top of him.

"I don't think that will be a problem," he managed to say, his voice rough as he wrapped his fingers in her hair and pulled her lips down to his. She moaned into the kiss, opening her mouth to his and shifting against him, the sheet falling over her back and onto the bed. He let his hands wander, moving down her back and stopping over her ass, pulling her closer against him.

Another loud bang from somewhere out in the loft, this time closer to the bedroom, made them both startle.

"Richard?" She heard someone call out.

Kate pulled away from Rick to see him frozen underneath her.

She heard the door to the office open and Rick swore under his breath, reaching down and pulling the sheet back over top of them, pulling her back down on top of him and twisting her head into her chest to shield her from whoever was entering before the bedroom swung open.

"Richard, darling! I'm here… Oh! I didn't realize you'd have someone here –"

"Meredith," Rick said, cutting her off, his teeth clenched, "What are you doing here?"

Meredith plopped down on the foot of the bed, and Kate her face burn.

Your ex-husband is in bed with his girlfriend and he clearly doesn't want you there, yet you sit down on his bed?

Does this woman have no sense of social cues?

"I'm in town for an audition," Meredith said, "I thought I'd stop by and see my favorite writer and daughter."

Kate felt her jaw clench.

Whether it was because Meredith had the nerve to call him her favorite writer, or that she was so disconnected with her own daughter's life he didn't know, but Rick felt it all the same.

"Meredith, when was the last time you talked to Alexis?" Rick asked, his voice low.

Meredith thought, "Hm… I guess it was around two months ago? I thought I'd surprise her."

Rick felt Kate clench her fists into his side, clearly telling him that Meredith needed to get out of their bedroom.

Now.

"Look Meredith, Kate's sleeping, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Kate?" Meredith asked.

"Yes," Rick said, "Kate. My girlfriend."

Even with her face against Rick's chest, she could feel Meredith's eyes on her.

"Oh!" Meredith said, "Nikki Heat."

Rick squeezed Kate in response, anticipating her reaction before she had a chance to respond herself.

"No," he ground out through clenched teeth, "Kate. Look, we had a long week and she needs her rest. Let's continue this conversation elsewhere."

She felt Meredith get off the bed.

"Then let's go to the living room."

Rick answered, "I'll be out in a minute."

"Nothing I haven't seen before, Rick."

Kate's was surprised that Rick hadn't yelped at how hard she was clenching her fist around his side.

A moment passed before Rick spoke again.

"Get out, Meredith. Now."

Kate sat up as soon at the door closed. She pursed her lips and looked down at him, her eyes hard.

"I…" Rick started.

"Save it," Kate said rolling her eyes, standing up and taking the sheet with her, leaving him lying bare on the bed.

She walked towards the bathroom, "I'm going to shower. Alone…" She nodded at him, her eyes focusing on his obvious arousal, giving him a mean smile, "You should probably take care of that before you go face your ex-wife."

Before he had a chance to respond Kate moved into the bathroom and locked the door behind her. She dropped the sheet and immediately moved over towards the shower, turning it on as hot as it would go.

She groaned as she stepped in, the water hitting her back.

Worst day off ever.

When Kate got out of the shower, Rick was gone. She sighed and threw the sheet back onto the bed, wrapping her towel tightly around herself before moving towards their closet.

Kate let her towel fall to her feet, reaching into one of her drawers on her side of their dresser and pulling out a pair of small, cotton shorts, sliding them up her legs. Then she opened her drawer of t-shirts before promptly shutting it again. She moved over towards Rick's side of their dresser, grabbing one of his t-shirts from a writing convention and pulling it over her head.

She would be damned if she let one of Rick's ex-wives make her feel uncomfortable in her own home. If she wanted to wear her boyfriend's shirt, she would.

Kate tucked one of the edges of the shirt into her shorts before leaning down and picking her towel off the floor. She ran it over her hair a few times to get the excess water out of it, pushing her fingers through it to untangle it. She looked back towards the bathroom and decided against blow drying her hair.

It was her day off. That means it was her hair's day off as well.

She walked barefoot across the wood floor, throwing the towel in the hamper by the bathroom door before moving out of the bedroom and through Rick's study, stopping on the other side of the door at the sound of the hushed (but angry) voices in the living room.

"… If you would have called," Rick said, "you would've known that Alexis wasn't here."

"It's not that big of a deal, Richard. I'm sure your 'girlfriend' will understand."

"It's serious, Meredith!" Rick snapped, "She lives here! You don't just get to barge in here anymore. You lost that privilege 19 years ago when you walked out on your husband and your daughter."

Kate could practically hear Meredith's eye roll.

"Kitten –"

"No," Rick said, cutting her off, "Don't 'kitten' me. I love her, Meredith. I really do. More than I've ever loved anyone other than Alexis. I'm going to marry her one day, and this time it's going to be forever…"

Kate chose this moment to push open the door and slip out into the living room. She found Rick and Meredith standing across from each other, Meredith with her hands on her hips, Rick with his arms stiff by his side.

She couldn't help but wonder if this was how their arguments looked in the past before they got divorced.

Kate shook her head, deciding to act as if she had just woken up and got out of the shower, even though she was wide awake.

"Hey," she said softly. Both of their heads snapped in her direction, Meredith looking her up and down and Rick's posture softened immediately.

He smiled at her, "Good morning, beautiful."

Kate wasn't usually one for pet names, but she let it slide this time. She moved over towards him, reaching up and running a hand through her hair as she shuffled across the floor. He opened his arms to her as she reached him, enveloping her in his embrace as she cuddled into his chest. She leaned back and he kissed her sweetly, before she turned towards Meredith, attempting to move out of his embrace slightly. He didn't let her though, holding her against him tightly. Normally, it would annoy her, but again, this wasn't exactly a normal situation.

"Hello, Meredith," Kate said, "I didn't know you were stopping by."

Rick mumbled under his breath, playing along with her ignorance, "None of us did."

Meredith ignored Rick and gave Kate a tight-lipped smile.

"It was supposed to be surprise for Alexis, but Richard just informed me that she's not in."

Kate shook her head, "No, she went to visit some friends in North Carolina for the week. She'll be back in a few days."

Meredith pouted at Kate, "Oh, I'll probably be gone by then. I'm only in town until Wednesday."

"We'll tell her you stopped by," Rick said. "Now leave."

"Oh Ricky, stop it," Meredith scolded, "Just because you're uncomfortable doesn't mean we can't be civil."

"I'm not the one who barged into my ex's house at 7:30 in the morning. How is that civil?" Rick bit back. Kate placed a hand on his chest and she felt him exhale, calming himself down at her touch.

"Meredith," he said, attempting to be calm, "We just want to spend a nice, relaxing day at home on our day off. It's been a rough week. I'll book you a room at the Plaza and you can get yourself a spa day. Just… leave."

"But I'm already here."

"This isn't a hotel, Meredith," Rick said, his frustration shining through again, "this isn't your space anymore."

"Well, I guess we'll all just have to share," Meredith said to Kate before looking at Rick with a playful expression, "There's plenty of Richard to go around."

Kate bit the inside of her cheek. She couldn't let that slide.

"No…" Kate said, her voice far too sweet, "… I think he's just enough for me."

Before Meredith could retort, Kate spoke again.

"I think I need some coffee. Would you like some?"

Meredith shook her head, "Oh dear god no, that stuff is awful for your teeth. I'll be whitening my teeth for a month."

"I would love some," Rick said, "I'll come help you."

She nodded tersely and grabbed his hand, pulling him towards the kitchen. She started a pot of coffee as a formality before turning and looking at him, her eyes on fire.

"Kate, I –"

She cut him off, pushing him up against the kitchen counter. He hit the surface with a groan, but then he felt her stand directly in front of him, pressing the entire length of herself up against his front. She pushed herself up on her toes and looked at him directly in the eye.

"I. Don't. Share." She said, her voice low and dangerous.

He nodded, "Never, Kate," he said, hoping that his voice was as earnest as he felt, that she believed him, "There's no one else Kate."

She nodded, before she leaned forward and brushed her nose against his, her breath hot against his lips.

"There better not be."

He nipped at her breath in the air, still frustrated by what had transpired in their bed only 20 minutes before. When they were so rudely interrupted by his ex-wife.

God, it was like his worst nightmare.

"I don't need anyone else," he said, his hands coming to the hem of the shirt she was wearing and running his hands up her thighs, "You're more than enough."

Kate leaned back away from his seeking lips, watching as he pursed his lips in frustration.

"Your ex-wife is watching us."

His eyes opened, "She is?"

He made a move to turn his head and glare at her, but Kate stopped him, stilling the movement with her hands on his cheeks.

He was here. She was here.

She might as well do what she was planning on doing today, right?

So she kissed him.

He immediately moved to deepen the kiss, his frustration and enthusiasm shining through, and she almost felt bad for leaving him the way she had earlier that morning.

She pressed herself up against him, her hands skimming down his chest to the waistband of the sweatpants he had thrown on. She dipped her fingers just below the elastic waistband and he responded enthusiastically, gripping her hips tightly between his fingers and spinning them around, hoisting her up onto the counter, never breaking their kiss. She spread her legs immediately and he settled in between them. She locked her legs around his hips as she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. He groaned and slid her hips along the counter, bringing them even closer together. She felt him tug on her shorts, pulling them down far enough so that her underwear would have been showing if she had put any on to begin with.

He felt her bare hips and groaned once again against her, before sliding his hands up under her shirt, past her ribs and up to the side of her breasts. She gasped as his thumbs ghosted over her peaks, feeling his smile against her lips. She pushed herself further into him and he finally tore his lips away from her lips to caress the rest of the skin he had neglected. Moving her hands off of him, she leaned back on the counter as his lips began their descent from her jaw to her collarbone.

She heard heels walking towards the kitchen, but she ignored them.

This was her home, her boyfriend. She can kiss him anywhere and any place and in any way she wanted.

If he was going to keep doing that, she may be persuaded to let him do it in public.

"I think I'm going to spend the day shopping," Meredith said, the disdain clear in her voice, but Rick didn't remove her lips away from Kate's skin, "And then I'll check into a hotel for the night."

Kate vaguely registered that she should be embarrassed that Rick was sucking on her neck in front of company…

Actually, wait? This woman had shown up uninvited, absurdly early, and had the nerve to claim she had a spot here. Why should she be embarrassed? This was Kate's home. This was Kate's kitchen. And Rick was Kate's boyfriend.

He was hers.

And she didn't share.

Kate looked at her and gave her a tight-lipped smile.

"Good idea."

Rick just slid one of his hands out from under her shirt and waved goodbye.

"Leave your key," he said against Kate's neck.

Kate bit her lip to stifle a smile as Meredith huffed angrily, slapping her key onto the table her heels clacking loudly as she made it to the door, slamming it behind her.

"No more." Kate said when the door closed behind them.

"She left her key."

"She's insane. She might have a copy somewhere."

"I'll change the locks," he mumbled, fighting a smile at her conspiracy theories regarding his ex-wife. She probably wouldn't appreciate that. "Alexis is over 18. There's no legal reason Meredith needs a key."

Kate pulled away from his lips and switched positions, leaning close to him.

"Tomorrow," Kate whispered against his skin, her teeth teasing the vein in his neck, the spot she knew drove him wild.

He groaned, his fists tightening on her hips.

"First thing in the morning," he agreed, letting his hands loosen and trail down to her legs.

Kate hummed contentedly against his neck, finally latching her lips onto the skin and sucking on his pulse point lightly. He let his head fall back as she leisurely kissed his neck, undoubtedly leaving a light mark. He found he didn't care at all. She could bruise every inch of his body if she did it with her lips.

She pulled away after a minute, kissing the mark with a quick closed lip kiss before covering his hands on her thighs with hers and looking up at him with a small smile.

"So…" she teased, "… you love me?"

Rick leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose.

"You've known this for quite some time."

"And you want to marry me," Kate said, still smiling.

He smiled back, "I think it's safe to say the whole world knows I want to marry you by now. I don't just write novels about anyone, you know."

Kate scrunched up her nose.

"You're ex-wives aren't invited to the wedding."

Rick barked out a laugh, half because of her expression and half because she essentially admitted she'd say yes.

"Whatever you want, Kate," he said with a smile.

Kate smiled back.

"You know what I want right now?" she said softly, her fingers trailing down the front of his t-shirt.

"Coffee?" he whispered.

She shook her head.

"Then what do you want?" he whispered, leaning in and nuzzling the spot under her ear with his nose.

"I want you to take me back to bed," she whispered.

"Oh yeah?" he whispered back, pressing his lips against the spot.

"Yeah," she said, sighing as his lips touched her skin, "Rick?"

He hummed against her neck.

"We have too many clothes on."

Best day off ever.

Love it? Hate it? Let me know what you think! otherwise I'm just studying... and that's no fun.