"On behalf of Delta Airlines, the flight crew would like to welcome you to JFK International Airport. The time is ten-fifteen and it's a brisk 45 degrees outside. Please ensure that you keep your seatbelts securely fastened until we reach the gate and take care when opening the overhead luggage…"
Kate zoned out as she stared out of the distorted aeroplane window at the airport terminal, a familiar anxiety rising in her chest at the thought of being back in the city she once called home. There were so many emotions attached to New York, many of which she had left behind for a reason.
She was pulled out of her chaotic mind by a warm hand covering hers on the arm rest, fingers giving it a comforting squeeze as she turned to look at the man in the seat next to her. Kate had been looking forward to spending some time with Hank away from the 21st, the prospect of four, completely uninterrupted days filling her with a buzz of excitement despite the deep-rooted anxiousness.
"You worried your brother won't approve?"
Leaning over the armrest to plant a chaste kiss on his lips, Kate rolled her eyes and let out an amused snort.
"Have you met me? Since when have I ever been even remotely concerned about what other people think?"
With a smirk of concession, he turned his focus to their interlaced fingers, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand in slow circles.
"But your brother isn't just anyone."
Whilst he'd never admit it out loud, Kate knew he was concerned that her brother wouldn't approve of him, despite her telling him on numerous occasions that Matt just wanted her to be happy. He worried that he was too old, too set in his ways, too jaded.
Bringing their joined hands to her lips, Kate pressed a kiss to his knuckles before she returned her gaze to his face.
"He's going to like you just fine. Trust me. Like any good big brother, he wants to know that I'm safe, happy and all of that fluffy bullshit."
Hank made a humming noise in the back of his throat before he dipped his head down to whisper in her ear.
"Fluffy, huh? Guess he doesn't know how rough you like it, hmm?"
The immediate blush that coloured Kate's face had Hank chuckling as she jabbed him in the ribs with a sharp elbow, earning a grunt and a wince from him as a smile crept on to her face at the memory of their little encounter on the couch the previous evening.
"Can it, Voight."
Her embarrassed mumble had him grinning like a Cheshire Cat as the two stood to collect their things and made their way into the terminal. When they arrived at The Plaza on 5th Avenue, they were shown to their room by a well-dressed concierge and Kate couldn't stifle the gasp as she dropped her bag in the middle of the room, taking in the view.
Hank had evidently gone all out for their mini-break.
Their suite had a huge Queen-sized bed in the middle of the far wall, complete with a beautiful ornate headboard at the top and a chais-longe sitting at the foot. All of the furniture was a regal-looking dark oak, the marble surfaces boasting identical detailing to the headboard. The view over Central Park was breath-taking but it was the bathroom that really had Kate's head spinning. A large, clawfoot tub sat just under a decent-sized window that looked out over the city, giving a perfect view of the Manhattan skyline.
Hank let out a light whistle, dropping his own bag on a nearby sideboard as he too took in the view out of the window.
"Hank, this is stunning."
She crossed the room to join him, pressing her chest against his back as she wrapped her arms around his waist, running her palms over his sternum and placing a kiss to the back of his neck. Resting her chin on his shoulder, the two of them gazed silently out of the window before Kate once again pressed a kiss to his neck.
"Fancy doing some exploring before we meet Erin for dinner?"
With that, the two left the hotel and spent a few hours roaming around the city, eventually stopping to grab a bite to eat at Juniors when Kate's constant hunger complaints became too much and he let her drag him inside the popular diner. Hank watched on in awe as Kate polished off a turkey reuben the size of a small dog and still put in an order for a slice of cheesecake to go.
When he declined to order a dessert for himself, Kate shot him an incredulous look.
"You're not going to get a slice of cheesecake? Are you insane?"
He hiked his shoulders and drained the last of his beer before settling the bill.
"I'm not hungry."
"Honey, it doesn't matter if you aren't hungry. It's Junior's cheesecake. Have you even been to New York before?!"
Rolling his eyes, he slapped down a few bills to cover their lunch and stood to put on his jacket.
"I have no idea how you manage to look the way you do with the amount you eat, you know that?"
Letting Hank help her into her own coat, Kate thanked the waiter who had just placed a box of cheesecake near her elbow and turned to face Hank with a coy smile.
"Well, you see, the guy I'm seeing is just insatiable in bed…so I guess I need the calories to keep him satisfied."
"Oh, is that right?"
Kate leaned into his body and pressed a long kiss to his mouth, pulling back before they got too carried away and the two of them made their way back out onto the street. Deciding to swing by Rockefeller Centre and take Fifth Avenue back to the hotel, they strolled hand in hand, simply enjoying one another's company.
They had a few hours before they were due to meet Erin for dinner so Kate drew a hot bath, filling the tub with an assortment of fragrant bubbles, closing her eyes with a long groan as her muscles immediately relaxed when she settled under the warm water.
The whooshing sound of fabric hitting the tiled floor pulled Kate from her near meditative state and she cracked an eye open, turning to watch Hank slowly tug his t-shirt free from his jeans, a sexy smirk on his face. His button down was already in a puddle on the floor and, crossing his arms over his body, he grasped the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head, depositing it on top of his shirt.
A slow smile spread over her face as she watched him strip before her. There was no doubt about it, even in his fifties Hank Voight was a specimen of a man. All hard lines and rippling muscles but with a softness that set Kate's pulse racing every single time he was bared to her gaze. He had a wiry physique, one she immediately attributed to years on the job; broad shoulders that tapered off into a lean waist. Dropping his hands to his belt, he made quick work of his jeans and boxers before making his way towards her, completely naked.
"Room for one more?"
Kate shifted her body forward to give him enough room to settle behind her, immediately leaning back into his embrace once he was seated as his strong arms snaked around her waist, placing a gentle, open-mouthed kiss to her shoulder.
"Always room for you."
Hank roamed soapy hands over Kate's arms, shoulders and back, even going so far as to take each finger in turn and run the digit between his own fingers. She had never seen him quite this attentive. Sure, he had a laser focus when it came to his work and he always paid her more than enough attention but this felt…different.
"What are you thinking?"
Her words had obviously pulled him out of his own thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"What are you thinking about?"
His hands never stopped moving, skimming her forearm, her biceps and shoulders before disappearing under the water to trace patterns over her chest, fingertips meandering over the peaks of her nipples leisurely.
"I'm thinking about how much of a lucky bastard I am."
"Oh? How so?"
One of his hands traced a line down her stomach, skimming over her bellybutton before disappearing between the juncture of her thighs. Kate tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder with a whimper and, ever the opportunist, Hank pressed his mouth to her exposed neck, lips ghosting against the sensitive flesh as he spoke.
"Because you chose me."
Pushing his hand away from her body, Kate turned so that they were chest to chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. Nose to nose with his breath fanning across her face, she gazed into his warm brown eyes.
"I'll always choose you."
Kate lost herself in the feeling of being the sole focus of Hank Voight's attention, culminating in a powerful climax that had water lapping at the sides of the tub, spilling over onto the perfect white marble as the pair remained blissfully ignorant to everything but each other.
Later on, Kate dressed in black jeans and a maroon, satin button up blouse for their date with Erin who had made reservations at Rezdóra for seven thirty. It was an authentic Italian restaurant off of East 20th near the Flatiron building and Kate had been there a few times with colleagues and her brother before she moved to Chicago. Hank had opted for dark wash denim jeans and a crisp blue shirt that he teamed with a charcoal jacket and tan brogues. He looked incredible and Kate had a hard time tearing her eyes away from him.
Before she could think up a reasonable excuse for being late to dinner, her phone buzzed to say that their cab was waiting for them outside so she was forced to abandon any ideas of dragging him back to the bedroom and the two of them headed down into the lobby.
Erin was waiting for them when they arrived, a smile the size of Texas plastered on her face when she spotted Kate walking hand in hand with Hank through the restaurant. When Hank was close enough, Erin launched herself into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on like she didn't want to let go.
"Hey kid. How's the city treating you?"
Her mumbled response was muffled by his shirt as she clung to him, the two of them indulging in a rare show of emotion. Kate rounded the table and shrugged out of her coat as she watched them reconnect. When they eventually pulled apart, Erin turned her attention to Kate and she too was subsequently enveloped in Erin's embrace.
"I'm so pleased you finally took the risk!" Erin whispered before pulling back, holding Kate by the biceps as the two looked each other over.
"Hank told me he was bringing a date but I didn't think she'd be this hot!"
Hank rolled his eyes as he pulled back Kate's chair, gesturing for her to sit before taking his own seat next to her as they listened to Erin rattle off a series of questions.
"So, how have you been? How are the guys? How long has this been going on?"
"Jesus Erin, draw breath before you hurt yourself."
Erin gave him a pointed look before taking a sip of her wine.
"You aren't my boss anymore, Voight."
"I wasn't talking to you as your boss. I was talking to you as the man who raised you and knows that you sometimes forget to breathe when you're excited."
"Touché."
Kate laughed at the easy banter, taking the stem of her own glass between her fingers, enjoying the broad smile that stretched across Hank's face. The more she got to know Hank, the more she realised that, despite his 'lone wolf' persona, he was a family man through and through. He loved deeply and would walk to the ends of the earth to protect those closest to him, even if it meant losing a part of himself in the process. Watching him reunite with Erin, Kate could clearly see that a missing piece of him had been returned.
"Kate?"
She was snapped from her thoughts by Hank calling her name, the two of them holding menus in their hands as a waiter stood at the end of the table obviously waiting for her order.
"Uhh, I'll have the reginelle verde please."
'Panic ordering at its finest!'
Once Hank and Erin had both placed their orders, the waiter disappeared off to the kitchen and the three of them resumed their conversation. Kate and Erin were on their second bottle of wine and Hank was three Manhattan's deep by the time they ordered dessert and the conversation turned in the direction of romance.
"So, you seeing anyone?"
Hank groaned and gave Kate a pointed stare who merely shrugged in response, eyes sparkling in mirth at his discomfort. No father wanted to hear about the romantic escapades of their daughter and she guessed Hank was no different.
"You kidding me? I'm off relationships for the foreseeable future."
"Right answer." Hank mumbled, a breath of relief leaving his chest.
"I wasn't necessarily talking about relationships Erin."
Kate waggled her eyebrows and Erin barked out a laugh, casting a sideways glance at Hank who looked like he wanted to be anywhere in the world but here at this moment.
Erin raised her wine glass to her mouth, her eyes darting between both Kate and Hank as she spoke.
"Well, maybe I should ask you about your love life huh?"
Kate nearly choked on her mouthful of wine as she struggled to contain her laughter, primarily at Hank's reaction who's eyes bugged in his head and he too nearly spat his drink across the table. Clearing her windpipe, she brushed a napkin over her lips before responding.
"You know as well as I do that you want no part of that conversation."
The realisation of what she'd just said seemed to hit Erin like a freight train and she shimmied her shoulders in an exaggerated shudder.
"Yeah, copy that."
The evening eventually drew to a close and the three of them stepping into cool evening air, wrapping their coats around their bodies to fend off the early Spring chill.
"So, will I see you guys again before you head back?"
"You free for lunch on Sunday?" Kate suggested, standing close to Hank's side in an effort to shield herself from the breeze.
"Yeah, providing the scum of the earth behave themselves for the weekend. I'll call you tomorrow and we'll make plans."
Kate nodded, stepping away from Hank to draw Erin into a hug, once again telling her how good it was to see her.
"It's good to see you too. And thank you."
Kate pulled back with a look of confusion on her face and Erin simply smiled gently, her eyes darting to Hank who was busy flagging down a taxi.
"I don't remember the last time he was this happy."
"It's not been easy but…he's worth the effort."
Leaning forwards to make sure she was definitely out of earshot, Kate whispered into Erin's ear.
"Helps that he's a stud in bed."
"GAHHHHHH!"
Barely avoiding Erin's swatting hands, Kate cackled as Erin pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets dramatically.
"That's a visual I'm going to need to bleach from my brain."
"What visual's that?"
Hank had re-appeared at Kate's elbow who quickly schooled her features into an innocent face, hiking her shoulders in apparent confusion.
"Actually, you know what? I don't wanna know."
Taking Erin by the elbow, he guided her to the yellow taxi idling at the curb and the two embraced once final time before he closed the car door and waved her off. Kate and Hank stood on the sidewalk side by side, watching the car until it turned out of sight.
Hank lifted one arm and wrapped it around Kate's shoulders, pulling her tightly into his side as they waited for the next cab to arrive. Lifting her chin, she took in his profile, marvelling at his God-like jawline before drawing his attention.
"Told you."
He looked at her for a beat, a half-smile on his handsome face.
"Told me, what?"
"That you raised a great human."
He dropped his lips to her forehead, pressing a gentle kiss to her cool skin before setting his eyes back on the road.
"Yeah, I guess I did."
When they arrived back at the hotel, the two of them made short work of their evening ablutions, stripping naked and sliding between the sheets of the softest bed Kate had ever had the pleasure of sleeping in. Resting her head in the crook of his neck, Kate danced her fingertips across his bare chest and stomach, the course hair providing a stark contrast to the softness of his skin.
"Have I ever told you that Justin was a twin?"
His question caught her off-guard and she paused in her ministrations. Taking her reaction as a 'no', Hank pressed on.
"When Camille told me she was pregnant, I was still an officer and, you know, I wanted to wait until I was a detective. Came home one evening, big dinner and she said 'I know you're not ready for a baby, but hopefully you're ready for two'."
His fingers were tracing random shapes and patterns on the skin of her back as he spoke but he paused when she lifted her head from his chest so she could see his face.
"Justin came out first. The second was a baby girl. Stillborn."
Kate was stunned into silence. He kept his eyes on the window, watching as the Manhattan skyline twinkled in the moonlight, but she could see the pain etched into the lines of his face.
"You know, it wasn't until Erin that I realised how much I wanted a daughter."
Shifting upwards in the bed, Kate wrapped her arms around Hank's shoulders, pulling him towards her and reversing their positions so that he was now resting with his head on her chest. One arm remained locked around his upper back whilst the other cupped the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair gently as she held him close, doing what she could to let him know she was there.
"She's lucky to have you. You're an excellent 'girl dad'. Although, how Erin ever had a boyfriend before the age of thirty is beyond me. Imagine turning up to pick her up for a date and seeing you on the doorstep…all handcuffs and shotguns."
He huffed out a laugh against her breast, eyes closing as he listened to the steady sound of her heart beating beneath his ear.
Feeling his breathing even out, Kate dropped a light kiss to his forehead and closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to claim her. When she did eventually succumb to the exhaustion, for the second time her dreams were filled with images of a little girl with brunette pigtails, bright pink dungarees and Hank Voight's eyes.
