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A/N: Hello from the other side! Total Adele fan here XD. I am really curious what you'll think of this chapter. I feel a little evil, I have to admit. I suppose some people will feel it was deserved for the object of suffering, which I don't agree with at all and I hope some of you don't either. Oh well, please let me know what you think :).
Oh, also big fat trigger WARNING! Think of this chapter as an SVU episode, though I think I managed to keep it as decent as I could work with.
After a long day, he always liked to walk back through the Federal lanes. Past the Hoover, the courthouse and several other (obviously less important) central government buildings until he was at the metro station. Walking there cleared his head, slowly it deleted the business of his day with every step he took. At least, that is how it had worked for him in at the start of his career. Now, he was able to leave his work at the office. As soon as he shut the door behind him, his mind could wonder about other interesting things. He still enjoyed the walk through, but he didn't need it anymore as a stress outlet.
Since this week's Monday, he had an extra reason for continuing his road-home-ritual. He had been hoping to run into one specific person. Truth be told, the chances of that happening weren't that great, since his workday always ended rather late. Not that he was great with calculus, but as a general rule government employees didn't work overtime unless it was an absolute necessity. But still, small chances were still a possibility. Sadly, for the past three days, his hopes had been in vain.
He didn't really understand why he was hoping to run into her again, but somewhere in his narcissistic mind, he knew it probably had something to do with her none subtle rejections. Rejections of all his indecent and even decent proposals. From experience, he knew that his chances of a woman agreeing to his advances would increase exponentially when she was alone. Separating the sheep from the herd, if you will. Which was why he deemed it so important to run into her after work hours.
To his surprise, he saw a figure on the steps of the employee entrance of the Justice Department. Would today be his chance that would change their stance towards each other? Casually walking closer his hopes were increasing. God, she was pretty, even when she was fumbling with her stuff as she tried to let her bag make a graceful slide down towards the ground.
"Well well well if it isn't the lovely miss Johnson. I didn't know government employees worked overtime."
Lilly's heart skipped a beat, not having expected to hear any voices at the secluded employee entrance and exit of the Justice Department. It was a good thing she had put her bag safely on the ground, otherwise, it would have dropped to the ground like a meteor from out of space after entering earth's atmosphere. It way past work hours and daylight had already started to run low, really low. During the business day there would have been plenty of people around, but for now, she was going to be alone with a man she really didn't fancy talking to after working over twelve hours. Lilly had been on a role with her research for the most recent case, so she had been hesitant to call it a day. "Mr. Stein", Lilly said, hoping politely acknowledging him would be enough of a greeting to also be a polite goodbye.
When he didn't budge, she could feel him waiting for a reaction from her. In her head, she heard Booth's warning earlier this week. She looked passed the lawyer, trying to see if she could just cowardly run past him until the entrance of the subway would appear. Not a chance in hell on her heels. Maybe that was for the best, it was better to stand her ground than to run away and give him the pleasure of him seeing how he was giving her the creeps. On the other hand, in case everything would go south, if the man truly had clocked up something bad, it would be better if she didn't fail and injure herself trying to get away from him now. God, the idea that she was mentally planning a possible escape scared her a little. She took a breath as deep as she could, trying to calm herself. Booth and his horror story ideas... The lawyer would probably just try to get her to go out with him tonight or some other night. That wasn't something to worry about, it was just starting to become a really annoying reoccurring event. Trying to sound calm and not too annoyed (better safe than sorry, right?) she responded to his hello. "What are you doing here? At the backside of the office?"
"Oh, nothing special, I am just passing by on my way home from the office." He pointed at the general direction where the firm he worked for was located, only two blocks away. Casually he came closer, walking up the first couple of steps. "I secretly have been hoping to run into you, since you are my favorite junior assistant prosecutor's assistant and all."
Frozen in place Lilly could only focus on his polished shoes as he climbed the steps. Had his voice been thick with sarcasm or was she just imagining that? Forcing herself to look up and meet his face, she managed to give a little smile. "Really? Even after the last time, we crossed paths, I am still your favorite?" She didn't dare to be witty. Truth be told, Lilly had always been a little scared of the dark and if she would trust Booth's knowledge of people, this could get frightening really fast and to her it already felt scary.
Steve's charming smile at her words and him stopping with coming closer made her relax a little. Stein smiled, feeling very sly. This girl was good at pushing away her fears. He could see she wasn't all too happy to see him. Maybe it had been an exhausting workday. It wasn't his goal to scare the crap out of her. But if that were to happen he wasn't really against it. He could certainly use that to his advantage. It could definitely teach her about her place and probably stop her from embarrassing him in the middle of federal government buildings. He just wanted her to understand that he deserved her respect. So far, she hadn't dissed him, maybe she didn't bother with being sassy when there wasn't anyone around to hear her him. So far so good. "I am so glad you brought that up, because I really didn't like you showing me up in the middle of the courthouse." Before she could even blink he had closed the distance between them, pushing her against the pillar with his body. "Especially not when you question my sexual ability, in front of another man, none the less", he added his voice calm and collected. Noticing her reaction, he had to hide his grin. This was going to be a good end of his workweek.
Lilly gasped. I didn't even know he had heard that. "Please... Please step back." She managed not to sound absolutely frightened because her mind was too busy running through her options. Her knowledge of effective self-defense was too low, so instead her mind went through the rules for successfully claiming it if she would slam him against the wall or if she would need to push him off the steps he just had flown over.
Suddenly she remembered Booth's instruction. To give him a call if Stein bothered her again. Too bad that her phone was in her pants' pocket. She just hoped that Stein pushing her flush against the wall against her would result in a butt dialing of someone on her speed dial. She was grateful that she hadn't yet switched her old temporary Nokia phone for the brand-new iPhone that would soon be arriving and replacing her broken flip phone.
"Oh, saying please already huh?" He backed off a little but he still boxed her in if he wanted to. "I could give you everything that you could possibly want. In the past 8 years, I've made so much money you would never even have to work a day in your life. I am fit, healthy and only a mere 9 years older than you. I'll admit that sure I just wanted to get into your pants when I first approached you, but that is just because that is what I've been doing for as long as I can remember. But don't doubt for a second that I hadn't picked up on your agile mind, that smart little mouth of yours and of course that smoking hot body of yours. A woman like you is exactly what I need, what I want and not just for a single fun night." Steve moved closer as he gently caressed her cheek.
"That is a lovely speech", she said, trying to keep her sarcasm out of her voice. "But I ask you nicely to stop touching me and step aside."
He shushed her. "Don't try to deny yourself. It is just us here. You've already told me you dig my looks." He let his hands wander from her cheek to her neck.
Lilly looked at his roaming hands, not really feeling his touch because she was too shocked at the fact that he was touching her. "I've also told you that isn't all that matters to me. There is personality, attitude, generosity, social skills, intelligence." Regaining some of her composure she grabbed his hands and pushed them off her. "I hope you're happy you got to second base here, but now, if you don't mind I'd like to go home and have a late dinner."
He grinned, glad to see she got some of her snappier thinking skills back. "I think I would mind, because you see, second base isn't really what I had in mind. I was thinking more along the lines of engagements and weddings. Something long-term, durable. But I am willing to settle for a great night. Especially since you've been taunting me and I don't really like that unless it is foreplay. Now I know you aren't some scared virgin, you slept with that 13 in a dozen FBI agent. I could see the anger and angst welling up in his eyes when I called it and you, miss smarty pants, didn't even deny it. And as you know, not denying something is practically the same as confirming it."
Lilly looked at him. He must be bat crap crazy. "You're insane, because I don't think there is even a 0.01% chance of any of that happening. What is it you've got planned then? Just because it is evening time, doesn't mean no one is going to pass by. We're in DC, there are cameras everywhere."
He chuckled. "It is getting darker and darker out here and cameras would have crappy imaging that would be indistinguishable. Also, from the looks of it, we would just be a couple in love, doing a little late-night smooching. And I am not insane, just incredibly determined. God, your hair smells nice. How did you think I got this successful as a lawyer, I am next in line to become partner at the firm and I am not even 34 yet, like the current most junior partner was when it was his turn."
Smooching, Lilly thought and the word made a wave of nauseousness go through her. He was right, thus far there wasn't much to see, but from his wording, she wasn't entirely sure that would stay this way for much longer...
A/N: As you've probably noticed, this chapter is a little bit shorter than usual. It didn't feel right to combine all the chapters (currently it's over 13.000 words). So most of those chapters are also going to be around 2000 words apiece. I am a little bit worried nobody left a review for the previous chapter, I know I am not the traditional B&B fanfiction-writer (although the next chapter is going to be B&B-heavy), mainly because there are much better writers doing an incredible job at that XD, but please do let me know what you think!
