note: there has to be a bit of romance, hasn't it?
She had waited a while but it seemed that nobody would answer the door-bell. Just the moment she turned to leave, the door opened.
"Catherine." Warrick's deep voice sounded sleepy.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you." She excused while taking in his form: he wore a pair of boxers and a shirt he had quickly put on and misbuttoned.
"Wanna come-in?" Warrick gave way and she accepted with a smile. It was the first time that Catherine set foot into his den and she looked around curiously. It was one large room with the bed separated by string-curtains so it was visible, yet it wasn't. The rest of the room was sparsely funished with a leather couch, a matching chair, a low wooden table and a small eat-in kitchenette in the opposite corner of the bed. It was neat with a few cluttered clothes on the floor. The walls were covered with book-shelves.
"Want some coffee?" his voice interrupted her examination.
"Oh, ahm, yes please."
"I'm sorry but the whips, cuffs and the other nasty stuff is in the cellar." Warrick chuckled.
"What?" Cath was irritated.
"Oh, you look around as if this is a crime scene and you can't find the weapon."
"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to appear nosey." She inhaled the scent of freshly brewed coffee, "Hmmm, smells great!"
Warrick carried a tray to the low table, "Take a seat." He switched on the sound system and let Marla Glen fill the background with her great voice. Then he disappeared in the bathroom where he put on sweat-pants and a sweater. It would make him feel less vulnerable and probably Cath more comfortable. Although she was probably jaded enough not to freak out over a man in boxers.
When he returned she had taken a seat on the couch and served herself. So Warrick occupied his favorite chair and folded his long legs up on the seat. His green eyes watched her attentively.
"How are you?" she finally asked.
"So-so. I never before had a case that held some personal involvement ready. Looks like I'm not coping too good." He frowned.
"Soon or later it get to you. One way or another. You'll learn how to make it through."
"I should. Can't afford fading all the time." The man managed a wry grin.
"I thought you might want to get updated?" she suggested, staring at his bare feet with the wiggling long toes. Was he nervous?
"Sure."
"We were at the bar and found the bartender rather talkative. He ..." Cath closed her eyes. It was still hard to believe what they had learned, "He said Angel was hooking."
"Good Lord, he was half a baby!" Warrick exclaimed. A new wave of nausea swept over him. "I mean, Cath, he surely wasn't even shaving. What a sicko would..." the man wiped his face. "So you're now looking for the Jones?"
"Yeah. Only, we don't have a clue. Gil and Nick are down there, trying to collect samples from the guests. I'm not quite required."
"I bet! You were the first female in that shack in years, I guess. I should be there." Warrick stood.
"No. Gil wants you to stay away. No need to compromise you. They can handle it."
Reluctantly Warrick sat down again and sipped on his coffee.
"Oh, man! I'd love to see Nicky and Gris flirting with the boys. I bet Nick is dying!" he grinned.
"I hear you!" Cath laughed at the idea.
After a moment of silence, Catherine felt she could come to the point.
"Warrick, I have to admit that your revelation did make me feel somehow queasy. I'm sorry but it's true."
She could see his face suddenly harden as he braced himself for whatever insult or missionary sermon would follow her words now. His jaw was set firmly and even without moving he suddenly had such a defensive aura, it hurt Cath to see Warrick like this. He didn't say a word.
"I needed a while to understand what it was, why I reacted that way. It's not as if you're the only gay guy I know. Then I realized it was utter disappointment. I was completely disappointed that with you being gay I would never have a chance to date you. Being honest, I'm damn glad you're bi." She was a bit uncertain if she had not said too much, revealed too much of her emotions.
Warrick didn't say a word for quite a while. Then, suddenly he laughed. Catherine flinched. Warrick ridiculed her?
"You were jealous?" he finally exclaimed. "Oh, Cath!"
"Stupid, huh?" she smiled awkwardly.
"Why did you never ask for a date?" the incredulity in his voice was clear. He admired Cath and he would have never dared to ask her out because he thought himself being too young, that he would bore her or whatever. On the other hand they had a lot in common, they understood each other probably better than any other colleague would. Better than most people would.
"I thought you would think I was too old anyway." Cath shrugged.
"I never asked because I thought I was too young." They both laughed, realizing how stupid they had acted out of fear of being rejected. "Damn pride!"
"Warrick..."
"No. Listen, when we get this solved and I feel better, can I ask you out? 'Cause right now I wouldn't be good company and look like shit." Warrick smiled.
"Sure you can." Cath smiled and for Warrick it was as if the sun had come up.
The blond woman looked at her watch, "I have to go home, see Lindsay."
"Sure." Warrick showed Cath to the door, "Thanks for dropping by." The tall man hugged the woman gently and dared to put a soft kiss on her forehead. He watched her leave and only then closed the door.
For quite a while he stood in the room and stared at the table, wonder and disbelief in his eyes: he would go on a date with Catherine Willows!
She had waited a while but it seemed that nobody would answer the door-bell. Just the moment she turned to leave, the door opened.
"Catherine." Warrick's deep voice sounded sleepy.
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you." She excused while taking in his form: he wore a pair of boxers and a shirt he had quickly put on and misbuttoned.
"Wanna come-in?" Warrick gave way and she accepted with a smile. It was the first time that Catherine set foot into his den and she looked around curiously. It was one large room with the bed separated by string-curtains so it was visible, yet it wasn't. The rest of the room was sparsely funished with a leather couch, a matching chair, a low wooden table and a small eat-in kitchenette in the opposite corner of the bed. It was neat with a few cluttered clothes on the floor. The walls were covered with book-shelves.
"Want some coffee?" his voice interrupted her examination.
"Oh, ahm, yes please."
"I'm sorry but the whips, cuffs and the other nasty stuff is in the cellar." Warrick chuckled.
"What?" Cath was irritated.
"Oh, you look around as if this is a crime scene and you can't find the weapon."
"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to appear nosey." She inhaled the scent of freshly brewed coffee, "Hmmm, smells great!"
Warrick carried a tray to the low table, "Take a seat." He switched on the sound system and let Marla Glen fill the background with her great voice. Then he disappeared in the bathroom where he put on sweat-pants and a sweater. It would make him feel less vulnerable and probably Cath more comfortable. Although she was probably jaded enough not to freak out over a man in boxers.
When he returned she had taken a seat on the couch and served herself. So Warrick occupied his favorite chair and folded his long legs up on the seat. His green eyes watched her attentively.
"How are you?" she finally asked.
"So-so. I never before had a case that held some personal involvement ready. Looks like I'm not coping too good." He frowned.
"Soon or later it get to you. One way or another. You'll learn how to make it through."
"I should. Can't afford fading all the time." The man managed a wry grin.
"I thought you might want to get updated?" she suggested, staring at his bare feet with the wiggling long toes. Was he nervous?
"Sure."
"We were at the bar and found the bartender rather talkative. He ..." Cath closed her eyes. It was still hard to believe what they had learned, "He said Angel was hooking."
"Good Lord, he was half a baby!" Warrick exclaimed. A new wave of nausea swept over him. "I mean, Cath, he surely wasn't even shaving. What a sicko would..." the man wiped his face. "So you're now looking for the Jones?"
"Yeah. Only, we don't have a clue. Gil and Nick are down there, trying to collect samples from the guests. I'm not quite required."
"I bet! You were the first female in that shack in years, I guess. I should be there." Warrick stood.
"No. Gil wants you to stay away. No need to compromise you. They can handle it."
Reluctantly Warrick sat down again and sipped on his coffee.
"Oh, man! I'd love to see Nicky and Gris flirting with the boys. I bet Nick is dying!" he grinned.
"I hear you!" Cath laughed at the idea.
After a moment of silence, Catherine felt she could come to the point.
"Warrick, I have to admit that your revelation did make me feel somehow queasy. I'm sorry but it's true."
She could see his face suddenly harden as he braced himself for whatever insult or missionary sermon would follow her words now. His jaw was set firmly and even without moving he suddenly had such a defensive aura, it hurt Cath to see Warrick like this. He didn't say a word.
"I needed a while to understand what it was, why I reacted that way. It's not as if you're the only gay guy I know. Then I realized it was utter disappointment. I was completely disappointed that with you being gay I would never have a chance to date you. Being honest, I'm damn glad you're bi." She was a bit uncertain if she had not said too much, revealed too much of her emotions.
Warrick didn't say a word for quite a while. Then, suddenly he laughed. Catherine flinched. Warrick ridiculed her?
"You were jealous?" he finally exclaimed. "Oh, Cath!"
"Stupid, huh?" she smiled awkwardly.
"Why did you never ask for a date?" the incredulity in his voice was clear. He admired Cath and he would have never dared to ask her out because he thought himself being too young, that he would bore her or whatever. On the other hand they had a lot in common, they understood each other probably better than any other colleague would. Better than most people would.
"I thought you would think I was too old anyway." Cath shrugged.
"I never asked because I thought I was too young." They both laughed, realizing how stupid they had acted out of fear of being rejected. "Damn pride!"
"Warrick..."
"No. Listen, when we get this solved and I feel better, can I ask you out? 'Cause right now I wouldn't be good company and look like shit." Warrick smiled.
"Sure you can." Cath smiled and for Warrick it was as if the sun had come up.
The blond woman looked at her watch, "I have to go home, see Lindsay."
"Sure." Warrick showed Cath to the door, "Thanks for dropping by." The tall man hugged the woman gently and dared to put a soft kiss on her forehead. He watched her leave and only then closed the door.
For quite a while he stood in the room and stared at the table, wonder and disbelief in his eyes: he would go on a date with Catherine Willows!
