"Are you staying tonight?" Laura enquired, setting her wine glass down on the coffee table and Robbie considered her. "If you'll have me," he replied lightly and Laura barely covered her smirk. Robbie shook his head at her. "I thought your gallows humour was quite something Dr. Hobson, but how had I never noticed how firmly rooted your mind is in the gutter..." he observed and Laura's eyes twinkled. "It's why you love me," she replied and he grinned. "Something like that," Robbie replied and Laura coloured slightly as she realised what she'd said. "You always seem to end up at mine," Laura remarked and Robbie considered this. "Well, you are always very welcome at mine, but you're usually on call. It seems unkind to make you come out from somewhere that isn't yours," he replied thoughtfully as Laura snuggled up to him and he draped his arm around her shoulder, dropping a kiss into her hair. "Besides," Robbie continued "your place is a home. Mine's just a flat." Laura draped her arm over his stomach and thought about this answer. It was rather telling, she thought, even though she was in the midst of selling this place in order to move somewhere new. At least she wasn't on call tonight. She was on regular shifts for the next two days then had Christmas Eve off, and was then on call on Christmas Day until the 29th. Christmas could be quite hard work for a pathologist. Something about the confines of the festive period seemed to lead to higher numbers of suicides and incidences of domestic violence. It could be a bit grim.
"What are your plans for Christmas?" Laura enquired and Robbie kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to go and see Lynne for a couple of nights," he replied "and I'll be back on the 28th. You took the on call roster, didn't you?" Laura closed her eyes before she replied "I did." Robbie considered this. "I hope your team appreciate that," he observed and Laura sighed. "I hope my team appreciate that I appreciated their support while I was off, and since I came back, and that the least I can do is cover Christmas for them," she replied before sitting up and looking at him. "Seriously though, they've all been so kind and supportive. I'll spend Christmas Eve with Sam and the girls, and drive back after breakfast. I'll pick up the on call at lunchtime, and take it from there. And I shall make the most of a quiet office to get through a pile of paperwork whilst the team are off," Laura said and Robbie shrugged easily. He'd long since learned there was limited point in trying to talk Laura round once she'd decided on something. "Would you like to come over when you get back from Manchester?" Laura asked softly and Robbie cuddled her closer. "Mmm. Yes, that would be nice," he replied, pressing another kiss into her hair. "I'll cook…" she began and he grinned. "So what *is* on your Christmas list?" he enquired and Laura considered for a few moments before she wrinkled up her nose. "Not a lot, really," she replied slowly and he rolled his eyes. "I can tell already that you're just going to be difficult about this, aren't you?" Robbie said and Laura smiled to herself, knowingly. "You refused to tell me anything ahead of your birthday," he reminded her and Laura shrugged easily. "The flowers you brought me, though lovely, were completely unnecessary," she replied "I wouldn't tell you anything because I didn't want anything. This" Laura gestured at the remnants of the bottle of wine and the takeaway "was more than sufficient. As is your company."
Robbie considered her for a moment, then took a sip of his wine and she smiled warmly at him. "What do you want for Christmas?" she replied, fixing him with a curious look and Robbie laughed. "Turning the tables, eh, Hobson?" he enquired and Laura laughed. "Perhaps," she observed and Robbie shook his head. "We've never been great at gifts amongst our lot, it was always Val's thing," he replied "Lynne'll give me clothing of some description, Pat and I exchange gift vouchers, save messing about with postage. That's about it really. There's a few books I'd like to read, but you know, I've got what I need and want in life," Robbie fixed Laura with a knowing look and she make a funny sort of derisory snort "I don't need much, and I want even less, love" Robbie continued and then he grinned. "We're as bad as each other, eh?" Laura drained her glass and set it down on the table adjacent. "I couldn't possibly comment, Inspector," she replied knowingly, and then glanced at the clock. "Turn in?" she enquired and Robbie shrugged easily. "Aye," he replied and Laura picked up their glasses, taking them into the kitchen. He followed her with the boxes from their supper, disposing of the empty ones and stashing the remainder of the food in the fridge. "Do you always spend Christmas Eve with your brother?" he enquired as Laura pottered round her kitchen, tidying the last few odds and ends away.
Laura considered this for a moment before she answered. "Not always, some years they've been away. Mim's family are from Northumberland so while her parents were alive, they'd go up there sometimes, but in recent years, yes, mostly," she replied and Robbie considered this. Laura leant back against the counter and smiled wistfully. "When my nieces were little, I used to make them this Christmas Eve box," she continued "it's become a bit of a tradition now. I've just got the last few bits to pick up tomorrow or the day after." Robbie frowned, and Laura gestured that he should follow her upstairs. "A what?" he enquired as Laura locked her front door carefully and then turned for the stairs. "It's a box of goodies to start the Christmas fun a bit early," Laura explained as she walked up the stairs "a way of stretching out the kids getting all their Christmas presents when Auntie Laura is going to be at work." Robbie grinned. He'd known about Laura's nieces for ages, but it had only just begun to dawn on him quite what a doting aunt she was. "So what's in a Christmas Eve box, then?" he enquired and Laura sat down on the edge of her bed, beginning to get undressed and into her nightshirt. Robbie endeavoured not to notice how enticingly short the hem fell, and exactly how much thigh it showed off. "New pyjamas for Christmas Eve for everyone," she replied, shrugging her cardigan off and laying it over the chair at the end of the bed. "one year the girls and I made mugs for all of us, so those come out, and we make hot chocolate. Then there are usually Christmas socks, or hair bobbles, that sort of thing. When they were little, I'd try and find a new Christmas story. These days it's usually a movie. And there's a small stash of Christmassy chocolate in there too. Then we all hunker down on the sofa, eat chocolate, watch the movie and the girls usually fall asleep. It's my favourite part of Christmas," Laura dropped her jeans onto the end of the bed, and then took herself off to the ensuite to do her teeth. "Who has more fun, you putting it together or the girls undoing it all?" Robbie asked, as he leant against the door frame and Laura grinned. "Hard to say," she replied warmly "but I'd hazard it's about 50:50."
Later that night, with Laura sleeping contentedly in his arms, Robbie found himself mulling over their earlier conversation. Christmas had not been easy for him, or the kids since Val had died. With her anniversary so close to Christmas, it was inevitable really. But, Robbie mused, perhaps it was time he and the kids celebrated what they had had, rather than mourning what they'd lost. Inevitably, the two were intertwined, but he resolved to try and make this Christmas a bit more cheerful. He was off to Lynne's on Christmas Eve, and would stay with her until after Christmas. Tim didn't seem to mind Robbie's appearance over the festive season, and all in all, Robbie enjoyed spending time with them. Soon enough, he suspected, there might be grandchildren on the scene. Lynne was making very distinct settling down noises, and he knew that if Lynne had her way, Robbie would be up in the vicinity of Manchester more permanently. He idly wondered what, if anything, he might tell Lynne about this development, this fledgling relationship with Laura. He'd had to tell her about what had happened to Laura, and Lynne had been quite upset. He wouldn't have said Lynne knew Laura well, as far as he was aware, but in some ways Laura was an old family friend. When Lynne had rung for a chat and a catch up with her Dad in the immediate aftermath, she'd quickly realised something was badly wrong, and Robbie had ended up telling her about the whole sorry mess. He hadn't elaborated fully on exactly how he felt about Laura, but Lynne knew that they were close. If she suspected about the romantic side of their relationship, she'd not enquired. Some things, Robbie felt, were not exactly intended to be the subject of father-daughter confidences. "Give Laura all my love," Lynne had said firmly to him at the end of that call "and look after her, please. It sounds as though she needs it."
Robbie sighed and Laura stirred sleepily in his arms. "You alright?" she murmured, stroking her hand across his shoulder and he cuddled her closer, pressing a kiss against her hairline. She smiled, so he did it again. He slid his hand around the top of her legs, easing her nightshirt up and she smiled again. "Are you feeling me up?" she enquired, nuzzling into his neck and he chuckled. "Mmmhmmm," he replied, caressing her bottom in a rather more blatant fashion and Laura kissed below his ear, sliding her hand across his stomach and pulling him towards her. "Well," Robbie observed "it is quite chilly. Just need to warm up a bit." Laura laughed, and he rolled them both, pinning her underneath him. She gazed up at him and Robbie swallowed hard. Eyes darkened, and haired tousled from sleep, Laura was a particularly enticing bedfellow and he eased her nightshirt up around her waist. Laura smirked at him and he kissed her deeply. Breaking their kiss, he rested his forehead against Laura's and she sighed happily. She disentangled herself sufficiently to divest herself of her nightshirt, and Robbie ran his hands over her torso appreciatively. "You are so beautiful," he told her, feathering kisses over her neck and Laura squirmed slightly at the sensation. Pressing her into the pillows, Laura closed her eyes as he moved his attention to her chest, tracing kisses over her breasts and down across her stomach. He dragged his fingertips across her hipbone, and she sighed. Robbie pressed a line of kisses over the top of her thigh, and bringing his fingers up to touch her intimately, his thumb caressing over her nub. As Laura sighed in pleasure, he trailed a series of kisses across before gently running the tip of his tongue around her nub, noting Laura gripping the bedsheet in her hand as he continued to kiss and touch her.
Laura moaned in pleasure as he slid a finger, and then two inside her, still caressing her nub with his tongue. She whimpered, and Robbie felt her grip his shoulder. "Robbie," Laura murmured urgently, and he flattened his tongue against her, causing her to whimper again. "Robbie, oh, Robbie," Laura muttered as he continued to kiss and caress her, building a rhythm as he moved his fingers within her, his mouth exactly where she wanted it. She closed her eyes tightly, allowing the very pleasurable sensations he was creating in her to overcome her. As he flicked his tongue over her nub, Laura cried out again. "Robbie, I'm so close," she murmured, arching her back slightly. A familiar pleasurable fizzing was beginning to course through her veins, and Laura was hostage to the sensations. She swore under her breath as her orgasm overcame her, and Robbie grinned, kissing his way back up her body. He nuzzled into the side of her neck, and Laura trailed her fingertips down his side, grinning as he kissed her. "I want you," he murmured and Laura smiled, bringing one arm around his waist, and tugging him over her, guiding him to where she wanted him. Robbie thrust into her slowly, savouring how she felt around him. Laura turned her head to meet his lips with her own, returning his kiss slowly and sensuously. She slid her fingers into his hair as they moved together, still kissing deeply.
It was amazing to Laura that it was so easy to be so intimate with Robbie, for him to be so intense in the privacy of their bed. They were good together, and she was enjoying learning about him in this new context of romance. She shifted her position slightly so that he could thrust more deeply into her and he groaned against their kiss as he did so. Robbie still couldn't quite believe his luck, to be here, making love to Laura. It was almost too good to be true, and he took his time in loving her, until he was on the cusp of release. He kissed her softly, then leant his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed, as he fought for control. "Oh Laura, my love," he muttered urgently, and she hooked her leg around his waist. "God," he muttered again, sinking deeper into her and Laura clutched at him. "You feel so good," he told her and Laura drew him in for another kiss, filled with longing. Holding each other tightly, they moved together until Laura stilled suddenly, crying out his name, and Robbie knew his restraint had all but disappeared. He thrust into her again and again, murmuring against her skin until he collapsed, spent, on top of her. Laura kissed his forehead tenderly, cradling him against her, and Robbie sighed contently, lying in her arms. "You're incredible," he told her quietly, and Laura smiled to herself in satisfaction.
A/N: Apologies for the delay. They're being, well, as bit Laura and Robbie about it... Soon enough we'll sync back into Series 5, and that'll help.