3 – 2 – 1 - Happy New Year! Frohes Neues Jahr!
Please note: All these stories are not part of my "Sometimes you need more than just a friend"-universe.
Happy New Year, my love
Both Kim and Alvin sat in the car together, watching a suspect's house. Gang Unit had asked for assistance with surveillance. So Al, who had no plans for tonight, had volunteered. Himself and his partner, Kim.
But the latter had somehow imagined tonight to be quite different. More pleasantly. But in any case, at least, she had wanted to spend it together with her boyfriend. Actually.
Well, in Kim's fantasy, she would spend the evening at her boyfriend's house. At Hank Voight's. Oh, and she'd be wearing the new dress. The blue dress she'd bought especially for the occasion and which was now hanging in his closet. Then, maybe later, they'd dance to one of his jazz records. At midnight, they would raise their glasses to the New Year and to their love. Using the champagne she had discovered in his fridge. By accident. This morning, when she'd opened the fridge, she'd discovered the bottle. Knowing that he had bought a bottle for them to share, for tonight, a smile crept onto Kim's lips. Of course, Voight had been looking forward to an evening together, too.
BUT, sadly for her and him, such an evening would only be in their imaginations.
Kim sighed. Of all the days to ask for help, why did the gang unit have to do it today? You see, she had seen the look of disappointment on Hank's face when it became obvious that she would not be spending tonight with him, in fact, was going to be here with Al. Well, she was just as disappointed as he was.
Pulling her phone out of her back pocket, Kim wrote a quick message. If she couldn't be with Voight tonight, at least she wanted him to know that she would be thinking of him all the time. I mean, that as the clock struck midnight, that for a brief moment, she would imagine being with him right now. Being in his arms. Well, kissing him. Wishing him a happy new year. And being together.
"Did you have plans for tonight?" inquired Al suddenly.
Kim hesitated. So far, only Erin knew that Voight and she were more than friends. Actually, only Erin was aware that they were a couple. She had guessed it and had asked Voight about it at Christmas. You know, when he'd been in New York. And when Erin had sent him back so Kim and Hank could spend their first Christmas together as a couple.
"You were going to spend tonight with your boyfriend," Al deduced from her silence.
"Maybe," she replied vaguely. Without talking to Hank first, she wasn't going to talk to Al about it.
What Kim didn't know, however, was that Al already knew. I mean, that he already knew that Voight and her were more than just sergeant and officer, that they were lovers. By chance, Al had seen Kim and Voight together. Several weeks ago, he had turned his car onto the street where Voight lived. And Al had seen both Kim and Voight come out of the latter's house. Well, at first, it hadn't occurred to Al that they were doing anything. BUT then he had seen Voight and Kim kissing. The kiss he had witnessed was not just an exchange of kisses, rather it was much more than that. To him, it WAS love. And afterwards, he'd noticed so many more little things. Changes in Voight's behavior. He had seen that every now and then a smile gracing Voight's lips. Oh, and brief glances he'd given Kim.
It made Al happy for him. Hank Voight deserved to be happy again, and if it was Kim Burgess who put that smile on his friend's face, then so be it. In fact, today Al was going to do something to make sure his friend had a wonderful evening with her today, too.
"Here is your replacement for tonight," Al announced as he spotted Adam Ruzek approaching the car in the rearview mirror.
"My replacement?"
"Ruzek will keep me company for the rest of the night."
Taken by surprise, Kim looked at him.
"But you and I are supposed to be watching the house. For the gang unit."
"Burgess, why don't you go home? Look, he's waiting for you. Enjoy your evening, you two. Midnight is only a few hours away," was all Al said.
Both knew who was meant by He, even if Al didn't say it. Hank Voight.
"Thanks Al," Kim said, smiling gratefully at Al.
" Well, off you go. Ya don't want to keep him waiting," was all he replied.
About half an hour later, she used her key to enter Hank Voight's house. Surprised, he approached her. In fact, Voight hadn't expected to see Kim until morning.
"Kim," he said in surprise, pulling her into his arms.
"Al asked Adam to take over for me. Said I should have a nice evening. With my boyfriend."
Voight briefly paused at her words. He had an inkling as to what Kim's words meant. AIvin knew. About Kim and HIM. Still, he didn't want to think about that now. All he wanted to do was spend the evening with Kim. There was still time tomorrow or in a few days to talk to Al privately. Explain everything to him. The thing between Kim and him. For now though, he would enjoy the evening.
"Let me get changed," she whispered in his ear and wanted to get away from him. However, he held her tightly in his arms.
"You don't need to change. You're beautiful just the way you are. Beautiful," he murmured, wanting to give her a kiss.
"Hank, don't," Kim tried to pull away from him again, yet when she felt his hand on her waist, she was tempted to give in. Hell, she was tempted to just succumb to him and to the moment. Oh, she wanted to feel his touch. Everywhere on her body. A-and she wanted to feel him. Right here, right now.
Then again, she wanted to surprise Voight with her new dress. The blue dress she had bought especially for the occasion. Plus, she had pictured this evening happening in her mind earlier in the car. Thinking it would be so wonderful. There would be herself, Hank, her new dress, dancing to the jazz music. Oh, and then the evening would go on. Well, maybe in his bedroom. That or right here on the sofa.
"Look, I'll go and change quickly," Kim promised as she finally broke away from him and hurried upstairs to Voight's bedroom. Once there, she opened the closet and took out the new dress. Finally, she would be able to wear it after all. Wear it for him, that is.
Swiftly, she pulled the sweater over her head and unbuttoned her jeans. Not wanting to keep him waiting too long. Carelessly she threw the clothes on the chair in the bedroom and grabbed the dress. The zipper at the back gave her some troubles. However, Kim knew that if she asked him to help her close the zipper, the dress would find its way to the floor faster than she would have liked. Then again, she actually didn't mind him taking the dress off her again. Hell, she didn't mind him slipping the fabric off her body. Except not now. Well, now she wanted to welcome the New Year together with him. Later there was time for everything else. THEY still had the whole night. Hell, they might even have the rest of their lives together.
Finally zipping up her dress, Kim took one last look in the mirror before leaving the bedroom and heading back downstairs to Voight. After all, she didn't want to keep him waiting too long. Besides, she couldn't wait for her fantasy to finally come true.
There was already jazz music playing as Kim walked down the stairs. And Voight was just coming out of the kitchen with the bottle of champagne from his refrigerator and two glasses.
"It' s for later tonight. To toast to the New Year. You know, toast to OUR year," he said.
So Kim watched him set the bottle and glasses down on the small table before turning to her. He looked at her. Really looked at her.
"Well you look beautiful," he then said.
"Ah, thank you," Kim smiled sheepishly at him.
"May I have this dance?" he asked, stepping toward Kim. With a silent invitation, he held out his hand to her.
"Gladly," Kim replied, smiling, and grasped his hand.
They danced quite closely to the sounds of jazz music in his living room. Voight's hand rested on Kim's waist as the other slowly traveled up her back. His fingertips stroked the exposed skin, the sliver of skin that was not covered by the fabric of her dress. And Kim enjoyed the feeling of his touch upon her skin. Oh, she savored the feel of his lips. The feeling of him kissing her. Tenderly. Lovingly. Passionately. It was as if everything else ceased to exist. You know, it was like there was just the two of them in that moment. Only Kim and Hank.
However, eventually they became aware of their surroundings again. The New Year had arrived.
"Happy New Year, Hank," Kim said, smiling at him.
"Happy New Year, my love," he whispered.
With that, he pulled her close again and gently kissed her on the lips.