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OK, I know, I know, I am a horrible person for not updating in so long, but I just couldn't seem to get any of my ideas to pan out correctly, however, I am really feeling this one and hopefully you all will too, at least enough to forgive me for being so late with it.

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Bounty Hunters: Season 2 Episode 9

He had a no touching rule. He was not allowed to touch Juliet intimately in any way. No handholding or shoulder touching. He couldn't break that rule, because he knew that the second he did all the feelings that he had kept bottled up were going to run over and he was going to do something incredibly stupid, like kiss her. He couldn't do that, it would mess up their entire relationship, their entire dynamic. He didn't want to do that.

But this damn Tancana thing.

She was taking it to heart so much that she looked almost dead, her eyes glazed over and dull. He wanted to reach out and hug her, to hold her close until the spark came back. He couldn't. He had that no touching rule.

Damn him and his no touching!

It was a stupid rule really, if you thought about it. He could touch Juliet's hand, he could place a hand on her shoulder, it wouldn't affect things terribly would it? Sure it might make life more difficult for him, being around Juliet and almost unable to resist the urge to touch her, but she was hurting and he could do it, for her. All of it was only ever for her anyway.

He was doing it for the girl.

So he reached out, touched her shoulder and in that moment everything changed. The world slowed almost to a standstill. She stood before him, looking up at him, her blue eyes wide and unassuming, her lips slightly parted and her breathing shallower, only the slightest bit, but he noticed. He noticed everything; it was his gift and his curse.

"…that's what friends are for."

He wanted to kiss her. What would it mess up if he kissed her? Would it really destroy everything?

"Yeah, well, it's been a long day."

She was avoiding him; he could sense it. He didn't want her to feel like she should avoid him.

"Well, I guess you have to get home and feed your parrot."

"Shawn, I don't have a parrot."

This was his chance. Either he kissed her now or he let it slide, maybe forever. She was too good to waste. She was too perfect to wait on forever.

He was doing it for the girl.

"Oh. Well in that case."

He gripped her shoulder tighter, took a step forward, leaned in and just as he felt the softest, butterfly light touch from her lips she spoke.

"Shawn, what are you doing?"

He was being reprimanded. He'd ruined everything. Their friendship, their dynamic. All the power that he'd had over his emotions, it was all slipping away.

"Nothing." He couldn't really back out now, but he could feign ignorance.

"Really, because if you're doing what it looks like you're doing, it's gonna be one of those things we were just talking about."

Her breath against his lips was almost more of a turn on than if she'd actually let him kiss her.

"What's that?"

"A mistake."

"I agree, but that's clearly not what we're doing." He had to retain some ground; otherwise he'd be lost for good in the cool blue of her eyes and the heat from her lips.

"Okay. Really?" she sounded almost relieved, but kind of sad too, as if she'd wished he'd lean in further and close that gap between them.

"What do you say that we're doing?"

He had no idea what it was, because he hadn't been able to finish his original plan.

"I call it…" he hesitated, "very close talking."

"Ah, I see." Why doesn't he just kiss me? Why don't I just kiss him? "Do you have anything else to say?"

He puckered his lips, unable to resist and kissed her upper lip, firmly but gently.

"Mmmm, no, no I think I'm good for now." And he was. He had kissed her, technically, and for the moment it was out of his system, the no touching rule notwithstanding.

He leaned back, catching his breath. Then he took a step, two, their eyes still locked. She licked her lips and he almost retreated those two steps and kissed her. He didn't, he retained control.

"Well, goodnight."

"Night Detective."

He smiled as he walked confidently out of the police station. Tomorrow he would be able to touch her without losing control. Eventually time would catch up with him and it would become harder and harder to control, but for now, everything was great.

After all, he was doing it for the girl.

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Just something I noticed while watching the episode. He seems reluctant to touch her through the whole thing and then at the end when he touches her shoulder his entire voice and countenance change, so I thought this up. I hope you like it.

~Andrew's Slinky