He makes her laugh.

She's not so sure how he does it, but even under the worst circumstances, Jake still manages to make Amy laugh.

She should be freaking out right now – they're locked up in a freezing room, two of her least favorite things in the world – and yet here she is, unable to retain the small chuckle that escapes her mouth at her friend's current shenanigans. Instead of the upcoming panic attack that threatened to unload after Augustine broke their cover and pushed them inside the kitchen freezer of the restaurant they'd all been eating at, it's a warm feeling that's now taking over her whole body.

She laughs, the sound of which resonates through the thick walls while a small puff of cold air forms in front of her.

Jake's arms are wrapped around her shoulders, stroking them and holding her close to his chest. The intimacy is new as they're literally sitting on the floor and cuddling but none of them seems to complain about it – if anything, Amy is grateful for it as it helps her stay relaxed and keeps her from getting hypothermia. Her entire being is heating up at the simple touch of her partner on her, heart pounding in her chest and cheeks burning in a blush.

"I like your laugh," Jake slips out as he watches her with a soft beam covering his face.

It takes her off guard, said laughter quickly dying down and leaving space for some deafening silence to take over the small room.

"Sorry, that was awkward." He looks away as he removes one of his hands from her arm to scratch behind his neck. "But earlier you said I make you laugh, and I just–… I don't know. I like the sound of it." He shrugs, finally daring to bring his eyes back on her. What she can see in them then is quite overwhelming – he's staring at her with such intensity and awe, like nobody else has ever done before, it makes it hard for her to look at him now.

Of course she remembers telling him that. She remembers damn well how she took the very deliberate decision to let Jake know of the truth, when he had made it clear he had feelings for her again.

There's no-one else's opinion who I care about more than hers, he admitted in return – and her heart melted at the words, full of sincerity too this time.

"Well, thank you. I meant what I said, y'know. You do make me laugh a lot." She shoots him a small, reassuring smile as she finally talks. Somehow, in this dark and quiet place and stuck in such an intimate embrace, she finds it easier to talk about her feelings.

The smile soon reciprocates on Jake's features, but he doesn't say anything in return.

Amy studies his face for a moment, so close to hers she can actually feel his hot breath against her skin. Her eyes dart down towards his mouth before she can stop herself; her mind can't help but take her back to when it crushed against hers in an unexpected kiss earlier. Right before their cover blew up spectacularly and they found themselves in this (terrible) situation.

She would lie if she'd say she hadn't thought about what his lips would feel like, before this day. Actually, she'd thought about it more than she would care to admit.

And even though it took her a beat to realize what was happening and properly answer to his assault, once she did and she let the feeling of Jake's hands on her body and his lips moving against her own overcome her, she momentarily forgot about where she was. Who they were supposed to be.

As in, Johnny and Dora, this fake engaged couple she had come up with in the first place.

Not Jake and Amy, these two colleagues and friends who'd been pining for the other in turns for more than a year now.

Just like their personas were, this kiss was nothing but a cover for the job they had to do but damn, did it felt and tasted real.

Amy knows she's the only thing left standing between playing pretend and a true relationship with Jake. They're both single, and she knows he wants it, because he told her so.

I was kind of thinking about asking you out.

Deep down, she knows she wants it too. Yet she rejected him again over stupid fears and possible awkwardness and rules she made for herself – I don't date cops. Jake is so much more than just a cop, though. He's her partner, her friend, the first person she thinks about when she needs to vent about something with someone. He's funny and caring and kind and smart and overall amazing.

And he makes her laugh.

(And he likes said laugh. Her heart warms up just at the thought of it.)

Of course he has his flaws – just like everyone does –, and sometimes he drives her absolutely crazy, but at the end of the day she knows she can count on him. She's been doing so for a few years now, as her colleague and partner on the field. More importantly, she's been doing so for the past half-hour, leaning on his support to make her forget about where they're currently stuck in.

Trusting him to turn this nightmare they're (or she mostly is) living into this sweet moment between the two of them.

She would have lost it already if it weren't for him and his soothing presence by her side.

His hold on her is firm yet tender with his arms clasped around her body and his scent his overwhelming her and Amy can't help but think she's making a huge mistake right now.

She shouldn't let him go away again.

She shifts inside his embrace to snuggle even closer to him and Jake lets her do. She closes her eyes for an instant, taking a deep breath as she comfortably lets her head fall onto his warm chest. She can feel the loud thump of his heart against her ear. A small smile spreads across her face.

Yes, despite being in such a dark and cold room right now, she feels right, here – in Jake's welcoming arms.

"You okay?" His voice is soft against her skin. He sounds a little worried as he hugs her tighter. "Are you cold?"

Of course she still is. She's the type of person to carry a blanket around with her in July – she can only be freezing in the kitchen freezer of some fancy restaurant, then. Especially when she's wearing nothing but just a thin long-sleeves blouse. But somehow, being locked up in here with him, with his arms wrapped around her, it's not as unbearable as it should be.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she nods dreamily; reassuringly. It doesn't seem to convince Jake, though, who draws away from her a little to have a better look at her. Amy can feel a rush of cold, mingled with a slight pang of frustration, run down her spine following this newfound distance between the two of them.

"You sure about that? Your lips are turning blue." He stares at them with this statement, his own lips only a few inches away from her reach and slightly parted as he's highly focused on her well-being.

Behind the evident worry she can read in his (beautiful) brown eyes, Amy can also make out some hunger to taste them again – although she knows he would never dare to cross that line the way he did so earlier, now that they're alone and themselves and don't have the excuse of a cover to try and keep anymore.

Because he knows – he thinks – she doesn't want him.

But, with the way her heartbeat is racing in her chest, there's no denying she does.

Plus it's true she's starting not to feel her lips anymore, and she knows for a fact now that his face is so warm.

(Maybe less so now that they've been stuck in a freezer for so long – still, Amy can bet they're still warmer than her own.)

For a second their eyes meet and as she gets lost in Jake's gaze for a beat too long, Amy feels the urge to stop restraining herself the way she did for so long – to stop hiding behind dumb rules and finally take her leap of faith. She wants this. He does too. So why not give it a chance?!

Kissing him earlier didn't feel weird or wrong. It was rather the opposite.

It felt like finally and like her heart was exploding in her chest with all emotions she'd try to lock far away all coming back to her mind at once.

(And it made her feel warm. Oh so warm. A feeling she could use, right now.)

She sees Jake frown as she silently leans towards him, well-determined to put an end to the small distance that remains between their two faces, until realization seems to flash into his eyes and a new glow comes shining inside his irises. They're so close she can feel his heartbeat quicken in anticipation and, in her chest, her own does the exact same.

His breath is sharp and hot, slightly tickling her as they get closer and closer and always closer – almost as closed as they found themselves back in the hallway earlier.

(It's not a rushed impulse they're taking here, though – and they're not pretending to be other people either.

It is Amy, and it is Jake, slowly and finally deciding to act on their feelings.)

"We found them!" A voice suddenly startles Amy and forces her away from Jake before their lips can do so much as brushing. He backs off too, jumping in surprise. She blinks a few times when some new light enters the otherwise rather dark room. It's only when her eyes eventually adjust to this new brightness that she recognizes who interrupted them: some officer working with them at the Nine-Nine.

Their squad has found them.

Despite the giant pang of relief that takes over her at the realization that they'll finally be able to get out of here, she can't retain the frustration of not being able to finish what they started, too.

"Santiago? Peralta? Are you alright? We've been looking for you everywhere." The officer approaches them and Amy knows her moment with Jake has been lost.

"You're still cold?"

Jake's teasing voice makes Amy look up from the magazine she's been reading. She's wrapped in several blankets as she's patiently waiting for her results to come back.

Despite telling everyone they were fine and hadn't been locked in the freezer for that long, their Captain still insisted they should go to the hospital to get checked, just in case. And even though the feeling of warmth that's overcoming her right now is good indeed, Amy would rather be at home in her own bed after the night she had.

A smile comes curving up the corners of her mouth when her eyes meet with her partner's. A new wave of warmth takes over her whole body as she's finding herself alone with Jake for the first time since they almost kissed earlier. He might be grinning at the sight she offers, but she can still make out some concern as well in the way she looks at her – studying her carefully.

The question is a joke, but also genuine.

He approaches her and she shifts on her bed as an invitation for him to come and take a seat by her side. He doesn't wait for more to do so.

"I'm feeling better." She shoots him a small reassuring smile, one he's quick to reciprocate on his own features.

A short moment of silence falls upon them before Amy talks again. "Thank you, by the way. For preventing me from losing it, back there."

"Of course. I'm always happy to help." His smile turns fonder with the words. The atmosphere between them is full of tension when none of them talks for another beat.

Amy tries to think of ways to bring up what happened between them – let him know it wasn't some 'on the spur' moment and she would love it if they were to pick things up right where they stopped.

"So… that was a crazy night, uh?" In the end, it's all she manages to say. But it seems to be enough. Indeed, she catches how Jake's gaze on her suddenly grow darker before it switches to her lips for a second. Then, without a warning, his mouth finds its way towards hers. This time, there's no-one to interrupt them.

This time, it's definitely not playing pretend either.

Amy lets herself melt into his embrace. His hands are at her waist, keeping her close while hers find their way up to his neck. His touch his electrifying. It's nothing like their first kiss – they don't have to hold back their feelings, this time. They can be true to themselves and damn, does it feel good for Amy to finally be able to acknowledge, through her gestures, that yes, she likes Jake Peralta a lot.

Romantic-stylez.

(And he really likes her too, he will tell her later when they talk about the kiss and decide to give this "thing" they have a chance.)