This one was pre-episode speculation for 2x19, the scavenger hunt episode. Wish it had gone more like this!
Enjoy.
The delivery guy was early.
As his knock echoed through the apartment, Jane shared a surprised glance with Roman, then slipped eagerly from the couch, wincing slightly at the pain that radiated through her battered muscles– a sharp reminder of the mistreatment they'd received during her little treasure hunt today.
A hunt that they most certainly hadn't won; but which was a success all the same, their targets now safely behind bars and a very powerful weapon out of reach of the wrong hands.
The hunt had also given her one other thing; something infinitely more precious, a prize that was as beautiful as it was dangerous.
Hope.
Scooping up her wallet, Jane shook her head slightly, trying– as she had been all evening– to focus, to avoid thoughts of Weller… of that kiss.
Or rather, that almost-kiss, that breathless moment of maybe that had hung between them– right before the cavalry had very loudly arrived at the small warehouse that they'd holed up in, their besieged little fortress that housed the grand prize; the weapon that they'd wrested from the hands of their competitors before barricading themselves and the bound, unconscious bodies inside, surrounding the weapon like a bizarre honor-guard as they hunkered down to await their rescue.
A rescue that she'd wished could have waited just a few minutes longer.
She could still almost feel the warmth of Weller's breath on her lips, even now; but it was nothing more than the ghost of that maybe, a remnant of a foolish and unguarded moment. One that was unlikely to ever occur again, now that Weller had had time to think things through and realize what a mistake they had so nearly made; realize that the best place for him to be was as far from her as possible, keeping his heart well protected from her own.
Reaching the door, she threw a quick, reassuring grin at Roman, then pulled it open, a polite greeting already forming on her lips— which escaped instead as a soft 'oh', her body freezing on the threshold, suddenly struck with just how wrong she'd been.
It wasn't the delivery guy.
And Weller had definitely not decided to remain as far from her as possible. That much was obvious, given that he was right now standing on her doorstep, literally within her reach, already close enough that she had to tilt her head back a little to see his face.
And then he stepped closer.
"Jane," he greeted softly, his eyes on hers; clear, steady, intent. "May I come in?"
She didn't respond; couldn't. She simply stepped wordlessly aside, then carefully closed the door behind him, her nerves buzzing, her heartbeat pounding against her ribcage like fists on a punching bag, a swift, powerful staccato that made it hard to breathe.
It was only his friendly greeting to Roman that managed to pull her back to herself, her body reacting first and her mind slowly catching up as she turned to face the two of them. Blinking, her eyes fixed first on her brother, seeing him already on his feet, no doubt having been bracing for an attack from the moment she'd frozen in the doorway.
"Hello, Weller," Roman responded politely, his gaze– as it so often was– edged with just a hint of suspicion, his eyes swiftly assessing the man before him. Whatever he saw there seemed to satisfy him, however, because after a moment she saw his expression shift, his head inclining in the tiniest nod.
"Well, I gotta go shower," he added unexpectedly, the words completely casual, relaxed, as if none of them could see the already darkened tips of his still-damp hair. "See you at work, Weller."
"Night, Roman," Weller answered amiably, his reply drowning out the tiny, incredulous sound that left her throat, her eyes wide as she stared at her brother in disbelief. Seemingly impervious, Roman simply shot her a lop-sided smirk and ambled from the room, a palpable stillness instantly falling in his absence, its weight heavy on her lungs.
Feeling exposed, Jane occupied herself with placing her wallet down on the small table beside her, then tugged a little on her sleeves before slowly turning and lifting her eyes to Weller's at last, seeing them fixed on her with an intensity that stole her breath, paralyzing her, her mind suddenly devoid of all thought.
And then suddenly he was crossing the floor between them, his hands lifting to cup her face, his calloused touch gentle but determined– and then within the next hard heartbeat his mouth was on hers, and she was falling into the kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer, the press of his lips against hers carrying the weight of months of yearning, months of almost and nearly and maybe. There was no more question now, no more uncertainty; not with the feel of him as familiar to her as if they'd done this a thousand times, his body fitting with hers as if by design, his hands holding her close against him as though he'd never let her go again.
And, as she kissed him back with everything she had– giving herself over completely to him, to this, them– she knew she never wanted him to.
Finally, though, he drew back just slightly, brushing his lips lightly over hers in parting before letting his forehead lower to rest against hers, one arm shifting to curl around her waist, fingers clenching in her shirt, a gentle anchor.
"We're already fighting one war, Jane," he murmured at last, his voice low, heavy with his confession. "I'm tired of trying to fight this one too." Shifting his hand, he stroked his thumb slowly over her cheek, then drew a shaky breath, his words dropping to a rough whisper. "I need you, Jane. I always have."
"I need you too," she whispered back, her answer given without a single trace of doubt or hesitation, her nose brushing against his for a moment before she drew back just enough to meet his eyes, letting him see just how truly she meant her next words. "Kurt… this, us… it's always been real. Sometimes it feels like the only thing that is."
A heavy breath shuddered from his lips, and then his arms drew her in close once more, his body surrounding her, his voice hoarse in her ear. "I know."
She didn't know how long they stood there like that; silently breathing each other in, her body all but melting into his as his hands stroked slowly across her back, his touch almost reverent, as if he'd suffered as much as she had from the distance they'd kept these past months.
All too soon, though, he drew a deep, slow breath, then turned his face to press a kiss to her temple, his regret clear in his next words.
"I've got to go. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"
For a moment she held him tighter– half afraid that if she let him go, this would all disappear, would all turn out to be nothing more than another wistful dream– then sighed and loosened her grip, tilting her face up for one last kiss, one last taste to get her through the hours ahead. "Okay."
Reluctantly disentangling himself, he stroked a hand down her arm, gripping her hand gently for a moment, a tiny smile curving his lips as he looked down at her. Then, he slowly let go, his gaze holding hers for one last moment before he finally turned away, crossing to the door and pulling it open, turning back to her as soon as he was over the threshold, as if he'd known she'd be right there behind him.
"Night," he told her softly, his eyes tracing over her face, lingering on her lips for a moment before slowly lifting to meet her gaze once more, causing a new flush to rise in her already overheated cheeks.
"Night," she whispered, seeing the hint of an elated grin appear on his face as he turned and strolled away, his hands in his pockets and his step light. She watched him until he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight, then slowly closed the door and leaned against it, blowing out a breath.
When she finally turned, she jumped slightly, seeing Roman leaning in the doorway to the hall, that same smirk still in place.
"So," he drawled, raising a teasing eyebrow. "Should I corner him in the gym tomorrow and ask him his intentions, or?"
"Roman," she said warningly, but the effect was ruined by the laughter in her voice, her joy bubbling over.
"Relax, I don't even need to ask. It's always been written all over his face every time he looks at you," he tossed back, then paused and tilted his head slightly, his expression turning serious. "And yours, too. It was probably the first thing I knew for sure about either of you."
For a moment she simply stared at him, speechless– until the silence was abruptly broken by yet another knock at the door, both of them turning in surprise before glancing back at one another. Giving him a look of mild warning, she crossed to the door, drawing in a deep breath before pulling it open– only to find the delivery guy hovering nervously on her doorstep, looking confused and somewhat shaken, having clearly just spent some time with her detail before being set free on Weller's return.
Letting out the breath she'd been holding, Jane gave him a bright, grateful smile, then quickly grabbed her wallet, making sure to thank him for his trouble as he handed over the food, looking relieved and a little more relaxed than just a moment ago.
And when he walked away a minute later, it was with a grin on his face– and the biggest tip of his life tucked securely in his pocket.
Thanks for reading :)
