Disclaimer: Not mine.
A/N: Another valentine's fic. Review, please. To my darling Beta… I would send this to you, but it's already Valentine's day. Sorry!
Pretty in Pink
"Well, somebody loves Barek." Alex grinned as a delivery man brought a huge thing of red roses to the other detective's desk.
"It's Logan, apologizing for a comment he made to a suspect about Barek being good in bed."
Alex choked on her coffee. "Is that what he told you?"
Bobby cocked his head to one side. "Huh?"
Alex smirked. "He told Deakins she should be considered for an undercover thing because she made a believable prostitute."
"He did?"
"Yah. She deserves the flowers."
"I agree." He looked serious, but she could see the spark dancing in his eyes.
"You'd never be that stupid." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact that she could make based on years of experience.
"Thanks… I think." He grinned across their desks at her.
"See, if you were stupid enough to say something like that, you wouldn't try to buy back my affections with flowers." She smiled. "Plus, that wouldn't be an insult, because I spent time in vice. You know I'd make a believable prostitute, and so do I."
"How anyone ever mistook you for a prostitute, I'll never know. You look too…" He frowned. "Too something, I guess, to be one."
"Aww… thanks, Bobby." She reached over to pat his hand gently. "You're a great partner."
"Not that I'm complaining, but what brought that about?" His head tilted and his face shifted from detective to cheerful little boy like he did when he truly relaxed. Alex considered that the greatest achievement of all; to make him feel comfortable enough to be that way.
"Well, it's Valentine's Day, and you're my partner. Since I don't have a significant other…" She looked a little uncomfortable, and he was so fascinated by the look that he almost got smacked in the head by the box of conversation hearts she tossed at his head.
"Um… thanks?" He grinned as he poured out a handful. There was silence for a few minutes as he played with them, spreading them out and using them like the word magnets, writing sentences.
Alex had finally gotten over laughing at Mike when she felt something gently nudge her arm. She glanced down and saw Bobby's hand sliding pink hearts across the desk.
"I luv u" was the first one. "B Mine".
She raised a brow. "Cute, Goren."
"Not cute. True." He was completely serious, no hint of a joke in his dark eyes, just vulnerability.
"Bobby…" She was looking at him warily.
"Look, forget I said anything." He seemed to withdraw into himself, curling around his pain and hiding it. Watching him do that hurt her.
She reached over and sifted through the hearts, finding yet another pink one and placing it in front of him. He glanced up. "Really?"
"Really." Before she could say anything else, they were summoned by Deakins.
Nobody noticed a lone conversation heart on the floor where Bobby had knocked it, a small pink candy with the word "Yes" written across it.
A/N: Ack, almost too late. Oh well. I'm sort of happy with this.