She takes a bottle of wine out of the fridge, holding on to her dress as she does, wondering again why so many of her dresses are apparently impossible to zip up without an extra pair of hands. Thankfully the sound of a car pulling up outside heralds the arrival of a pair of hands she knows will be delighted to help. She smiles as she thinks about him, something she finds herself doing more frequently than ever of late. The doorbell rings in the way it always does when he arrives because he uses his bloody shoulder to lean on it rather than using his finger like any normal person. Shaking her head and biting back a smile, she checks herself briefly as she passes the mirror, and then opens the door.
"Hiya princess." He grins at her and steps towards the open door. "Ready to get festive?"
"If 'festive' is code for 'drunk on the cheapest wine The Met could source', then yes, I'm ready." Stepping back so he can come in, she takes a second to admire him as he brushes past her, because although he may not wear one often he really does wear a suit so very well.
"Drink?" She walks past him and over to the bottle of wine on the table, looking over her shoulder, the look in his eyes when they meet hers making it clear that he's just noticed her bare back. "Actually, zip me up first, would you? I swear a woman needs the arms of a monkey just to zip up her own dress."
She waits as he steps closer and she feels his warm breath on the back of her neck. She has other dresses she could have chosen to wear tonight that she no doubt could have zipped up without his help, but then where would the fun be in that? It's Christmas and this year she's decided she's tired of always being aloof Harry, serious Harry, totally professional Harry. Tonight she's going to be the Harry she so often feels like she wants to release when she's with him, the fun one, the ever so slightly wild one, the one he's only ever seen once or twice because she usually keeps her hidden safely behind her little fence. Not tonight, tonight she's coming out to play and she's going to make it very clear what she wants.
His hands move to the back of her dress, his fingers brushing against her skin as he slowly drags the zip upwards. It's a nice dress; short, strapless, black with a thin pattern of silver running through it, and it has absolutely no need for underwear beyond the black lace knickers she has on. He finishes zipping her up but he doesn't immediately move his hands from where they're resting on her back.
"What would you have done if I hadn't been coming to pick you up tonight?" He runs his hands across her shoulders before he eventually drops them.
"Well, I would have had to put my coat on over my underwear and changed into my dress at your place." She steps forward and pours two glasses of wine, turning to hand one to him before taking a sip of her own.
"Solid plan, except…" He runs an appraising glance over her dress and then takes a drink. "From what I could see, you don't seem to be wearing a whole lot of underwear."
"Oh yes…" She looks at him over the top of her glass, hit by a sudden urge to put her drink down, push him back against the table, and kiss him like Christmas itself depends on it. Instead, she pushes a stray piece of hair out of her eyes and smiles coyly at him. "You're quite right...then I suppose I would have had to risk it in just a coat."
"Remind me again why I offered to come and pick you up? Apart from being a perfect gentleman, of course." He grins at her and his eyes are focused so firmly on hers it almost feels like a standoff. Or a challenge, certainly, and he should know by now that she never backs down from a challenge.
"Of course." She plays him at his own game, running her gaze slowly down his body, lingering on his chest, biting her lip almost involuntarily before looking back up at him. "Leave your car here, we'll get a taxi. You'll end up leaving it at the party anyway and if it gets towed it'll cost you a week's wages to get it back."
What she doesn't say is that she has every intention of making sure he comes home with her tonight anyway, even if he doesn't yet know it.
"In that case, I guess I could have just gotten a cab from my place and met you at the party." He takes another sip of wine, keeping his eyes on her over the top of the glass. "But then there wouldn't have been anyone to help zip up your dress."
"Well then, it's a good thing you're here..." She smiles again and looks up at the clock. "Another glass before we go?"
"I like the way your mind works, partner."
It's been a better party so far than she expected, if she's honest. There's a decent enough buffet meaning she's not drinking the cheap wine on a totally empty stomach, and she's managed to extricate herself smoothly and successfully from conversations about taxes, the following year's budget, and the new steering wheel design on the Audi Quattro. Then there's Dempsey. They've circled around the room numerous times, always coming back together, always keeping each other in sight when they're apart. It's ridiculous, really, and she's starting to see why people make the assumption that there's something between them. She wonders how many people would potentially be cashing out on bets if the evening goes the way she hopes it will…
She's on her way back from the bathroom when she spots the mistletoe above the doorway, too high to reach, even in the heels she has on. Looking around the room she sees Dempsey leaning against a table while Diana from Fraud blatantly and shamelessly flirts with him. Standing against the wall she glances up and over at him, aiming for casual and feeling a warmth fill her chest when she sees that he's barely paying attention to Diana at all. She knows what she needs to do next but she's already established she can't reach the damn mistletoe sprig...ah, Chas. Tall, discreet to the end, and conveniently standing right in her eye line. Briefly catching Dempsey's eye and giving him a faint smile, she heads over to where Chas is standing, knowing her partner's eyes are on her, she can feel his gaze as she walks purposefully across the room. She refuses to look again but she's sure poor Diana is not entirely delighted that her best efforts would appear to be going to waste.
"Chas?" She taps him on the arm and smiles. "Would you mind doing me a small favour?"
"Sure, Harry." Chas smiles back at her. "What's up?"
"The mistletoe," she says, pointing to it. "Up just a tad too high, as it happens. Could you somehow swipe it down for me without the whole room noticing?"
"The mistletoe?" He looks confused but intrigued. "You want the mistletoe?"
"Well, I can't quite reach it and I fear I'd draw far too much attention to myself if I were to climb up on a chair." She shrugs as though it's perfectly normal to steal the mistletoe at the office Christmas party.
"Is it…" Chas looks over at Dempsey and then back at her, raising his eyebrows. "Forget it, I'm not even going to ask. Hang on.."
She watches as he strolls over, casually grabs the mistletoe, and is back at her side all in the space of a few seconds. He hands it to her and she somehow manages to stuff it into her tiny evening bag, grinning at Chas before squeezing his arm in thanks.
"I'm guessing you're not planning to move Diana's efforts along by offering that to her?" Chas smirks as he looks over at where Diana is still trying her best moves on Dempsey, and receiving nothing in return.
"Certainly bloody not." She closes her bag and grins. "Thanks, Chas. I owe you one."
Diana spots her as she's halfway across the room and her eyes narrow, looking like she knows if she ever had the slightest chance at all with Dempsey it's about to be blown to pieces. Coming to stand beside Dempsey, she slides her arm through his and smiles sweetly at Diana.
"So sorry to interrupt, but I'm afraid I need to steal my partner away." She looks up at him and smiles, squeezing his arm and moving a fraction closer. "If that's okay with him, of course…"
"Well...if duty calls, Harry." He returns her smile and his eyes lock firmly onto hers for a long second before he looks across the table at where Diana stands, looking slightly defeated but not particularly surprised. "Enjoy the rest of the party."
"Nice to see you, Diana." She offers up her brightest smile yet again and keeps her arm linked through his as she leads him towards the bar.
"Thanks for that." He leans his shoulder against hers at the bar, grinning. "Saved my ass there."
"I didn't do it for your ass, I was bored and she was..." She trails off, shrugging and turning to the barman. "Scotch on the rocks and a vodka, neat. Thank you."
"We moving onto the hard stuff, partner?" He raises an eyebrow and she moves a little closer to him, taking a breath in and smiling.
"Mm, it feels like that time of the evening, don't you think?" She rests her hands on his chest, sliding them slowly upwards and straightening his already perfectly straight tie.
"No complaints from me." He pauses as their drinks are set down on the bar, picking his up and taking a gulp, his eyes on her as she does the same. "You know, I'm not sure if I told you...you look beautiful tonight."
"Thank you." She takes another mouthful of vodka, followed by two more, emptying the glass and noticing the faintly amused look on his face. "And you look-"
"Yeah, yeah, don't tell me, I look like a waiter, I've heard that one before." She takes her hands from his tie, once again moving them down his chest, this time sliding them just under his jacket and apparently rendering him silent.
"I was actually going to say you look very handsome tonight, Dempsey." Her arms still under his jacket, she leans in, brushing her lips against his ear, smiling when she feels his hand on her back. "And more than a little bit...sexy."
"Harry…" His hand moves lower and he pulls her closer to him.
"That's me." Her voice is low and she smiles at him. "Finish your drink."
"My drink?" She's finally done it, she's finally thrown him off balance, and now she's started she quite honestly never wants to stop.
"Yes, your drink. Finish it." She watches as he downs what's left in one large gulp and puts the glass down on the bar.
She says nothing else, simply reaches for his hand and leads him past the end of the bar, out of the room, and around a corner, realising with no small sense of liberation that she no longer cares if anyone has noticed. Christmas Harry has been activated and she is being wholeheartedly embraced. She keeps going, her hand still gripping his, further down what seems to be a quiet hallway, eventually stopping and pushing him back against the wall.
"May I state something for the record?" He nods, his eyes wide, and she opens her bag, takes out the mistletoe, and drops her bag to the floor. "I've had a few drinks, as have you, but unlike...well, unlike a certain evening that I only very vaguely recall, I'm in no way compromised tonight when it comes to decision making. Are you hearing me?"
"I'm...yeah, I'm hearing you." He slides his arms around her waist and pulls her to him. "I'm definitely hearing you."
"Now, I'm not quite sure how this got into my bag…" She holds the mistletoe up in front of him and smiles. "But I should tell you that in this country it's actually law that once it's in your hand you absolutely have to use it."
"Law, huh? Well, we're cops, Harry…" He pauses and she watches as his gaze flits between her eyes and her lips. "So, we probably shouldn't break the law."
She knows she kissed him once before, as incredibly hazy as her memories of that night are, and she knows he was the one who stopped things going any further. He was the better behaved of the two that night and it changed things, it changed how she saw him, and solidified what she knew already...that she had started to feel something for him, something more than she had perhaps previously dared to consider. Well, tonight is different. Tonight she's a little Christmas merry but she's not drunk beyond all reason, she knows without doubt that lately they've been taking tiny steps towards this moment every single day, and she's absolutely ready for this ongoing tango of theirs to finally hit the dance floor.
Her heart skips a beat and she holds the mistletoe above their heads for just a fraction, making her intention clear, before tossing it to the floor, sliding her hands into his hair, and moving to close the distance between them.
Their lips meet, at first just a touch, soft, tender, sweet. She doesn't think she's ever tasted anything quite as enticing as he tastes right now, the faintest traces of Scotch and cigars, the rest just him. She parts her lips slightly and he pulls her tighter to him, one hand low on her back and the fingers of the other tracing patterns on the bare skin above her dress. She sweeps her tongue slowly across his bottom lip and moves a hand to the back of his neck. Seconds in and she's completely lost, all she can feel is the softness of his lips and the pull of her own needs as she pushes herself closer to him, her tongue battling with his. She had a strong feeling this could be the best kiss of her life and she loves little more than being proved right.
Pulling back eventually, she smiles as his lips try to capture hers again and he groans in frustration when he fails. She sighs against him and instinctively pushes her hips into his, letting out a faint moan before she sweeps her tongue across his top lip once more and breaks out of the kiss. Burying her face into the side of his neck, she presses her body tightly against his and tries to catch her breath.
"Wow, I…" His fingers stroke across her shoulder blades, possibly searching for the words he can't seem to find. "Um...who are you and what have you done with my partner?"
"I'm right here." Her face is still pressed into his neck and she smiles against his skin. "I just...I'm finally ready to stop fighting it."
"Ready to stop fighting what?" He pauses, waiting for her, and she relents and lifts her head from its comfortable spot, knowing he's waiting for her to look at him.
"This. Us." She looks right at him and rests her hands on his chest. "You and me, Dempsey, and this...thing between us, this thing we have that means some days I want to kill you and some days I want nothing more than to do exactly what I just did."
"Can I say I'm glad you went for that option?" He lifts one of her hands off his chest and brings it to his lips, gently kissing her fingers without ever pulling his gaze from hers. "I'm not sure committing murder in a room full of cops would've been a great plan."
"You don't think I could pull it off?" She smirks at him and acknowledges that this is what she can't resist, what she thrives on, this back and forth between them.
"Oh I know you could. I'd just prefer you didn't have to." He returns her smirk . "So...is this a 'what happens under the mistletoe stays under the mistletoe' thing?"
"Well…" She knows he's trying to ask if she's sure about this, if it's just Christmas madness, and she can't blame him for that, not really, she's aware she's been far from obvious about how she feels, even if she's certain she's been a little clearer about it of late. "I suppose we could blame it on the mistletoe. If you only want me to kiss you at Christmas, that is…"
"Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's…" He runs his index finger softly down her nose, gives her a playful smile. "Birthdays, Tuesdays-"
"Come home with me tonight?" She's almost completely certain he will so she doesn't quite understand the nervous flutter in her stomach and the way she finds herself anxiously biting her lip. Or perhaps it's because she knows he will, perhaps it's delicious anticipation rather than nerves.
"Oh Harry…" His thumb softly taps her bottom lip and her teeth release their hold. "Do you think I could ever say no to you?"
She feels the butterflies in her stomach take flight and finds herself reaching for him again, settling her hands on his face as she leans in to kiss him. He seems to have recovered from his initial surprise and is fully on board with her willingness to make most of the moves tonight. She isn't shy, she's never been shy, and he sees that at work every day. She wonders if perhaps he hadn't expected it when it comes to this, to the two of them, when it comes to her finally flipping his almost constant pursuit of her on its head and taking the reins. She's not the innocent he sometimes seems to think she is, although she has given him fleeting glimpses of the flip side of her coin and enjoyed seeing the intrigued look in his eyes. What he probably hasn't considered is the fact she's been pursued by men she has no interest in for as long as she can remember and she's adept at turning them down. However, she also knows when there's an attraction she's ready to stop resisting, and she feels like she's been resisting this one, the strongest one she's ever known, for way too long already.
They're too caught up in the moment, in each other, to pay any real attention to their surroundings, not something any detective would, or should ever freely admit. So, by the time she hears the familiar tones of their boss, she's managed to only partially extricate herself from Dempsey's arms and he's still holding onto her like she's the last lifeboat off the Titanic.
"Well, well...don't mind me, just looking for the little boys' room." Spikings is wearing a smirk almost as overt as the surprisingly festive tie he's also sporting. "Enjoying the party, are we?"
"Uh, back that way, I think, Chief." Dempsey's air of cool is at odds with the way his fingers grip her waist just a little tighter, but at least he's managing to answer, which is more than she seems able to do. "The bathrooms, I mean."
"Excellent, thank you." Their boss starts to walk away but before he does he taps the side of his mouth and grins. "Not entirely sure that's your shade, Dempsey."
He walks away and she looks at Dempsey, noticing the lipstick that their boss was clearly referring to, wiping it away with her thumb.
"Caught red-handed..." She grins, surprisingly unflustered by their boss having just found them behaving far from professionally, and then leans in once more to kiss him, fairly confident that there's no lipstick left on her mouth anyway. "Don't listen to him though. It's a perfectly lovely shade on you."
"I have a question." He tilts his head slightly and smiles as she nods in response. "Can we get out of here?"
"I think I need to try to tidy myself up just a little." She reaches down to scoop her bag up, taking out her cloakroom tag and pressing it into his hand. "Pick up my coat and I'll meet you at the door."