"Would you want to come with me?"

"Yeah,"

Kim's been here before.

Waking up in Adam's bed, his arms around her, the soft snoring telling her he's happily and deeply sleeping away.

The room is lit up with a low warmth, the light shining through a gap in Adam's curtains. That amuses her, that even years after they first slept together, he still doesn't always shut his curtains fully. It used to be something that infuriated her near the end of their engagement, but it just amuses her now. Adam's warm against her, lying flush to her, and Kim's very aware of the fact neither of them are remotely dressed. She faces outwards, her back to him, her arms resting on top of where his wrap around her, securing her tightly, but comfortably, against him.

Kim tries desperately to not think about how neatly they fit together, like two puzzle pieces.

She's been here before. Waking up in his arms after a night of fucking and love-making. Always waking up feeling so refreshed but reluctant to leave the warmth of his arms, the safeness he makes her feel just by holding her, making her hate the idea of ever leaving.

Sometimes she wishes it was that simple.

It isn't, of course. Adam is never simple. Kevin has teased a couple of times of how they're the definition of complicated, and while Kim's always rolled her eyes and called him dramatic, he's right. They are complicated. They fit so well together, and at the same time, they don't. They're the most uncomplicated when they're just friends, when they stick to the traditional rigid rules of friendship, when there's a guide on how they should be and that's that.

But yet, just like clockwork, they end up here. In each other's arms. In the other's bed. Naked. Signs of the previous night (and early morning) on their body in the form of bite marks, light scratches from nails and the ever so familiar aching.

And it never gets less complicated.

Last night had been amazing, Kim reflects, absent-mindedly running her fingers up and down Adam's arms. It had been a stressful day; with a flesh eating bacteria caused by a overworked scientist in the midst of a mental breakdown taking over the city. Intelligence had worked hard, helped by their friends and fellow hard workers of 51 and Med and finally, they had got the man and the cure.

If there was ever a day that called for a long bath and some wine, that day would be it. And that is what Kim had planned. Vanessa had invited her to go with her to Molly's, which she turned down—admittedly which made Kim feel like she was becoming boring and old, instead of the reality that Vanessa was just young and so new to the job.

Adam had also turned Vanessa down, and that was going to be that. Kim was going to go home, draw herself a nice bath, pour herself some wine and just relax. Maybe she'd have also answered some of her mother's voicemails, but that would be it.

But then he had called to her. He had looked at her in that way, had approached her, gotten into her bubble in the easy comfortable way only he can. He spoke to her so softly, yet with such promise, and Kim didn't want to do anything but go home with him.

It was such a simple question, and yet it had made her breathless. Only a couple of seconds earlier, the thought of doing anything slightly exerting would've made her body feel heavy with exhaustion, and ache at the mere thought. Instead her body ached for a whole different reason, waking up in a way that was so far from her mind until that very moment.

It's honestly remarkable to Kim how years after they first met that Adam can still have such an effect on her.

Alright, is all he said in reply to her yes, but that's all he needed to. He had tugged lightly at her, entwining their fingers, and in that moment, Kim would've followed him anywhere.

The ride back to Adam's was silent. It was a comfortable, nice silence; one they both are familiar with. Kim had stared out the car window, and Adam had focused on driving. Their hands were no longer interlinked, they had no eye contact or conversation and yet they were more connected than they had been. The air was full of intention, of a low but ever so alive energy.

No words were spoken until they had entered Adam's apartment. When they had gotten out of his car, Kim's hand had flexed by her side, and for a moment, she considered grabbing his hand, relinking them together.

But it had only been a short walk to the door to his building, and then he had opened the door for her, letting her go first, and that action alone filled Kim with such an electricity that she thought if they had touched, she might not have been able to hold back.

"You want a beer?" he had asked her once they were in his apartment. He had unlocked the door and let her go in first again. Once he followed her in, he had headed straight for his kitchen, glancing at her.

"Sure," Kim had replied to him, surprised at how steady her voice sounded, automatically following him. They weren't physically connected, yet the thought of being more than a few feet away from him made her body hurt in a way she pushed her focus away from; it being a thread she didn't want to unravel.

Adam had gotten out two beers, opening both in that smooth, confident way he does. Kim's unsure if it was that action, or just the fact that they were finally there, alone, together, away from eyes, but as soon as he handed her the beer, Kim put it immediately down and closed the space between them.

And just like that the dam was broken, and whatever was holding them from each other was gone.

Their kiss was hungry, desperate, pleading. Kim had wrapped her arms around his neck, and Adam had wasted no time, lifting her up. They aren't great at communication, but that, when they're kissing, when their bodies are aching, desperate for each other, that is when they understand each other the most. A language that's just theirs, and a language they're both masters at.

They had strewn their clothes quickly, needing to entwine themselves together. Kim was happy that Adam's place isn't particularly big then, that they didn't have to wait long until they were in his bedroom, until he was laying her down on his bed and making her forget all about the stressful day, and all the aches and tiredness in her muscles that reminded her of such.

If Kim was perfectly honest with herself, she'd admit that it wasn't just the infection that he was making her forget, that their build up went a lot deeper than just the day they had. It had been building for a while; from Blair dying and Adam being in her corner, to him being arrested and Kim fearing what will happen to him, on top of worrying about the fate of their unit.

They spent the whole night connected. Even when they were catching their breath, they were touching, entwined and tucked up against each other. When they had inevitably needed to get their beers, and fix themselves some food, their hands remained linked, never stepping out each other's bubbles for a second.

That's Kim's favourite part of this stage of their weird relationship friendship cycle they have. When everything has built up, all of the tensions of their job and personal lives, and finally, finally, they let all that stress go and just let themselves get lost in each other.

It's peaceful, in a sort of way. They both are worriers, internalising a lot more than either are comfortable admitting, but on nights like last night, they're free of the worries that clogs up their minds and just live in the moment. They drink, laugh and fuck until the night is more morning than night, and they've well and truly worn each other out.

It's a time Kim always finds herself wishing could never end. Not only because it's the only true time she knows peace and rest, but because then morning wouldn't come—and bringing the next part of the cycle with it.

Adam's body wrapped around her only serves as a constant reminder that they're yet again in this position. Thoughts of what this means, of will their co-workers notice that her car still remains at work, will the nice stage of their friendship be affected again and get all complicated and uncertain clouds Kim's mind. All while there's a ache in her heart, deep down, that wants this. Wants to just throw caution to the wind and ignore all the reasons Kim has carefully stacked up against this, and just be here, with him, because god, nothing has ever felt as good as waking up in his arms.

From behind her, Adam shifts, alerting Kim that he's finally awaking. He stirs, his breathing changing from his sleep breathing to awake and Kim tries not to reflect on how the way she automatically knows the difference shows just how engrained he is in her mind.

His arms tighten around her slightly, and he dips down his head, nuzzling into her neck and breathing her in. Kim's heart speeds up at the motion, and the corners of her lips turning up in response. As he awakens more, he stretches out one of his arms from the bent position around her, and as he does so he runs his hand down her body, causing her to shiver involuntarily, her breath catching in her throat.

At that, Adam chuckles. It's his breathy, deep laugh, an almost growl since he's been asleep. That alone is enough to reawaken her body, the aching from last night reigniting.

"Good morning, darlin'," Adam's voice is full of amusement and mischief. He pulls her closer to him again, running his hand back up her as he returns his arm to it's original position, and she feels exactly what he thinks of her response to his touch.

He nuzzles his nose again into the dip of her neck, giving her a playful nip before speaking again. "You know, I think we've got a bit of time before work if you want help, hm, waking up properly," Adam lightly kisses at her neck as he speaks, ensuring that if Kim had any ideas of not having sex with him again are well and truly gone.

Kim leans back in him, running her fingers along his arms, digging in slightly as she does so. "I don't know," she says back, her voice not that louder than a husky whisper. "Last night was quite tiring,"

She leans her head against his shoulder, tilting up her head to look at him. His eyes are dark, just as filled with mischief and promisingly devious ideas as his voice was.

"That's only more reason to. We could even wake each other up in the shower," Kim smiles at Adam's playful words. She lifts up a hand, rubbing gently at his jaw, letting out a light laugh, the laugh that he's only ever made her make.

"How could I say no to such an offer," she agrees, before moving them to get a better angle, and once again connecting their lips.

Kim sits in Adam's kitchen, sipping at her coffee. There's a newspaper open in front of her, but she's not reading the words. Her thoughts cloud up her mind too much for her to even try. The events of last night, and all the feelings she felt, replays over and over in her mind and ever the cop, she tries to make sense of it all.

It's nothing she's not had to analyse before. They do have this cycle, she has been here before—quite literally, been in this kitchen, sipping out of this coffee mug before. But this morning, this morning is different. The thought that something has to give, has to change, is more forward and prevalent in her mind. They can't keep going through this cycle.

Kim doesn't know how to stop.

The thought of never having a morning like this again, after a night like that, makes her heart go tense and her stomach feel funny. Yet the thought of committing to having all her mornings like this makes her heart go haywire with speed and makes her remember all the reasons she has for why they can't be together.

And then there's Adam himself to consider. The last time they were in this stage, Adam had made it clear he wanted to try again, not just be friends, and although he settled for friends who hooked up occasionally, he wanted a relationship.

And that was a factor that plagued Kim's worries but now it was different. Kim doesn't know he feels that way, or if he likes how they are now, if that's how he likes them. He's been very casual this morning, something that put her ease, helped silenced her worrying thought, until now she's alone with them in his kitchen.

Kim valiantly tries to ignore all the possible reasons for why that confuses her mind more; if it means that Kim wants to be in relationship with him, or if it means she's happy he possibly doesn't.

"Do you want us to drive to your place for clean clothes?" Adam alerts her to his presence, speaking as he enters the kitchen.

"Yeah. We have time?" Kim checks. Adam nods, taking a sip from his own coffee.

"Yeah. I've kept an eye on the time," He runs a hand through his hair and Kim tries her best to ignore how appealing it makes him.

"Should you drop me off where you used to when we head to work? Since my car's still there." She asks, her thoughts going back to her concern about their co-workers. Adam's eyebrow quirks upwards, amused.

"Why do we need to do that? It's not like we haven't come into work together before." Adam shrugs, unbothered and Kim is reminded how his casual ease can be both calming and infuriating.

"But not like this...not unplanned." Kim's finger traces the rim of her coffee cup.

"Kim. Don't get lost in those thoughts of yours. We have done this before, like last week, when we decided to watch a movie together and I drove us. We hang out all the time. It's nothing, no one's going to think we hooked up." Adam reassures her, before taking one last swig of his coffee.

"Come on, now. We need to go to your place, especially because while I think you look absolutely beautiful, you're probably going to fuss for ages," With that, Adam picks up his keys and heads out the kitchen.

And that was that. Kim's unsure why it was that what calmed her mind, what helped things slot into place more, but it did.

Adam is right. They do hang out a lot; they're friends after all and ever since they thought he might be sentenced, they've been hanging out a lot. No one's going to question this. And if they don't, and Adam's clearly unfazed, then why should Kim?

This...that night, everything Kim feels, the complicated way they are, the comfortable familiarity they have... it's just them and that's okay just being the answer, no matter how many times she ends up here.

And if she's considering what a relationship with him would be like more and more, well, that's nothing for her to reflect on too deeply. She's got time to figure out all that; it's not like this night will change the course of their relationship, as while amazing, it was nothing special or rather nothing that hadn't happened before.

Nothing that sets it apart from all the times that came before, and all the times that's surely to come.

Feeling settled and certain, her mind at peace with not having all the answers in neat little boxes, Kim finishes her coffee before following Adam, arguing that she doesn't and never has 'fussed'.