Chapter 13: Unlocking
WARNING: SMUT
Gail
As a police officer I had been trained to be observant, I noticed the small changes, every detail. Apparently those skills were less honed in my personal life, I had no idea how long it had been there, 20 minutes ago, that is when I noticed it, ok I didn't just notice it, I almost broke it off in my door. Sharp and shiny with a weird zombie key cover attached to it sitting between my house key and the key to my car. The only thing I was sure of is that the new key had been there for days at least, since I had last seen Holly.
My erratic shifts had taken their toll, I had spent a few drugged up days with her, but really, that has been the extent of our real time together the last few weeks. I had met her family, just as we were settling into bed for the night for much overdue naked time; we had both been called into work. This was officially week 4 of my crazy shifts, straight nights; I was ready to quit being a cop to just spend a couple of uninterrupted days with my girlfriend.
After my long shift stuck in a van with Dov on surveillance, I was home and determined to stay awake. I had plans to meet Holly at the penny in 3 hours and I knew if I laid down, I would be asleep for days. So here I sat, as the kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee observing the keys. "Gail, everything ok?" Dov asked, opening the fridge. "Hmm?" I asked, shaking my head, glancing up at him. "You're staring at your keys like they are going to grow legs and walk away." Dov shook his head, pulling a water out and downing almost half of it. "Chloe is on her way over." he grinned, knowing that would annoy the crap out of me. "Do you and Tinkerbelle have nowhere better to be, does she not have an apartment?" I asked, getting up to make another pot of coffee shoving the keys into the back pocket of my jeans.
Dr. Hot Stuff: Babe, I am running late, I don't think I'll make it to the penny
Great, now I wasn't going to see Holly tonight, I was tempted to walk the 5 blocks to the morgue and hang out with her but I didn't think that was a good idea considering I had just finished my third beer. As Holly loved to point out, tipsy and drunk Gail tended to be handsy.
You Can Cuff Me Any Time: can you send me a picture at least? I'm starting to forget what you look like
Dr. Hot Stuff: Thank Tracie, she brought in some last minute rush order blood samples on the triple murder.
Dr. Hot Stuff: {1 photo attachment}
I smiled at the scrunched up face Holly was doing in the picture holding up an evidence bag. God she was cute. I looked up as Tracie and Steve walked into the bar. "So what, you get to go out with your boyfriend while you make my girlfriend work over time?" I asked leaning on the bar next to her annoyed that Holly had to bail. "Hi Gail" Traci laughed sipping her water looking over a specials menu. "We came to get something to eat and we are headed back to the station. Our asses are on the line with this case." she sighed flagging the bartender down. "I'll cover her tab." Tracie laughed, rolling her eyes at me before placing their dinner order. She may not have rolled her eyes; I was so tired that I could have hallucinated that.
"Only kinda makes up for it." I shrugged chewing on my straw. "You have a 5 day weekend Gail; I'm sure waiting a few hours to see Holly won't kill you." Tracie smiled gesturing to a table near the door.
You Can Cuff Me Any Time: You don't work tomorrow right?
You Can Cuff Me Any Time: Maybe we can grab a late lunch if you aren't caught up at work too late?
"I hate you still" I pocketed my phone watching Steve talk to Dov and Andy. "Can I ask you something?" I sighed, pulling my keys out of my pocket aimlessly playing with the new addition. "Gail Peck asking me a question, to what do I owe the honor?" Tracie gasped before she glanced down at my hand. "You should be honored." I muttered placing the keys on the table between us. "When did you and Steve exchange keys?" I asked, feeling my phone go off, I wanted to answer it but I also needed to know Tracie's answer.
"You have exchanged keys right?" I was starting to second-guess this whole conversation. "A month after we declared that we were really dating." Tracie shrugged picking my keys up. "Did Holly give this to you?" she asked, eyeing the stupid zombie face. "A month, you trusted my brother after a month of dating to know he should get a key!?" I held my hand out for my keys, feeling a little weird. "He's a detective Gail, and your brother. And yes, I trust him." She put my keys in my hand and my phone vibrated again.
"I don't know if Holly gave me the key per say." I gave in; the downside of loving Holly was the present new inability to keep up my guard when talking about her. "The damn thing just showed up, I guess like a week ago, I noticed it this afternoon when I was trying to get into the frat house." I picked up my drink downing the rest of the warm liquid. "We never talked about it; I don't know if I should use it, if it's for emergencies." I sighed falling onto the table with a thud. Why did this whole emotion thing have to keep happening, Holly was making me soft.
"Gail, wake up." Tracie laughed, touching my shoulder. "You spend every free night you have at her place, you love her." Traci sounded like she did not know what to say. "She doesn't want to scare you, a key is a big step in a relationship, and given your track record, fighting during the first I love you's, I'm sure she didn't want to freak you out." Tracie tapped my shoulder and I looked up at her, there was a new drink in front of me as well as a stack of Styrofoam containers. "We have to get back to the station, but don't freak out, I'm sure it's not an emergency only key." Tracie laughed before standing up. "Close her tab" Tracie pointed at me then walked over to find Steve.
I guess she was right; we hadn't really had a smooth transition between stages in our relationship. As much as I loved her and wanted to be with Holly, some of the stages scared me. I fished my phone out of my pocket and saw Holly's name on the screen showing I had 10 unread texts.
10:56 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: you have to have noticed the new addition to your keys by now
11:04 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: it's a piece of brass that prevents you from banging on my door at 6 in the morning.
11:13 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: you don't have to use it.
11:16 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: maybe we should have talked about this before I just put it on your keys.
11:17 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: you could, you know, be there at my place when I get off of work
11:20 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: but only if you want to be there
11:26 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: don't freak out, you can give the key back
11:30 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: I just thought….
11:31 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: please don't be upset about the key
11:36 PM Dr. Hot Stuff: Gail?
"SHIT" I muttered typing out a quick response; I had been talking to Tracie for longer than I had thought.
11:38 PM You Can Cuff Me Any Time: Sorry I was thanking Tracie for making you work late
You Can Cuff Me Any Time: you know how to hide a body right; I mean you have all those fancy degrees
You Can Cuff Me Any Time: I'm not freaking out I promise
You Can Cuff Me Any Time: see you when you get home
You Can Cuff Me Any Time: {1 photo attachment}
I took a quick picture of the keys on a napkin with a happy face drawn on it. As much as I wanted to be freaking out, Tracie was right, this was the next step and really, I just wanted to see Holly like an adrenaline junky. I saw Chris walking towards the exit and I ran after him throwing a 20 on the bar. "Chris!" I ran up to him and he eye me, he was no longer the fresh faced rookie, the guy that I had dated that first year in the force, he had changed, and none of us could quite place the differences. "Yeah?" he asked, gripping his keys.
"Can you drop me at Holly's?" I asked, playing with my keys. Things had been different between us, and it felt a little weird asking him for a favor. "Uh, yeah, sure." he muttered walking to his truck. We drove to Holly's in silence, I wasn't sure where to start, how to talk to him anymore. "Thanks" I smiled, stepping out of his truck. "No problem" he smiled and drove away before I could say anything else. I guess Dov and I had both been too caught up in our own relationships to really hang out much anymore.
Dr. Hot Stuff: last of it in the mass spec, I'll be home in 90 mins tops
I smiled at my phone from the outside of Holly's flat; I had been staring at the door for a few minutes trying to will the door to open. I didn't want to use the key, not yet at least. "I don't think she's home" Holly's neighbor said, walking past me with his bulldog. "Thanks" I mumbled finally putting the key in the deadbolt feeling it click into place.
I had clothes here, a toothbrush, a spare uniform, a side of the bed, and most of all a stash of cheese puffs and tequila. I loved Holly's flat, it was modern, inviting, and lacked the smell of dirty boy. I walked around aimlessly turning lights on and off as I went. I was exhausted, I had been up for 28 hours; living on coffee and the buzz under my skin knowing Holly would be home soon. I went upstairs and decided to change into pajamas, well Holly's pajamas that I had claimed on the first night I slept over. A well-worn grey t-shirt and black sweats, I studied her bed and smiled to myself, I had three favorite places in the world, on the shooting range, in Holly's arms, and Holly's bed in the sun warmed sheets because she slept with the curtains drawn
I woke up to the sound of the shower running in the in suite bathroom, I stretched and looked at the alarm clock, it was just before 3 AM. I must have been asleep for 2 hours or so. I stretched, rolling over to bury my face in Holly's pillow, my limbs heavy with the weight of sleep. This was almost like our normal morning routine when I stayed over, Holly was the first out of bed, and she always started the coffee before getting into the shower while I slept cuddled to her pillow.
I smiled when I felt the bed, sinking next to me, feeling Holly's weight press against my side. "Lift your hips" she breathed into my neck and in my sleepy daze, I lifted off the bed feeling the comforter move from under me. "I love you." Holly kissed me softly as she wrapped the comforter around both of us. "You smell nice" I pulled her closer, trying to absorb her warmth and smell. "Showers do wonders" Holly let out a soft laugh before kissing me again. "Let's get some sleep." Holly settled as I tried to attach myself to her, burrowing my head into the pillow under her while wrapping my arms around her. It had been over a week since I had slept in her bed, in her arms, god I had missed it.
The moan that escaped my lips startled me awake; my body was on fire in the best possible way. "Oh god." I moaned instinctively reaching down, grasping Holly's hair. "Good morning." she smiled up at me for a moment before sucking my clit back into her mouth. "Oh." I felt my hips come off the bed as her tongue ran in lazy circles over my clit. My skin was burning and I couldn't seem to stop from trying to force Holly closer. "Baby" I moaned, feeling the fire start to smolder in my center. "Mhhm" I whimpered, trying to hold back to enjoy this feeling a little while longer. Holly seemed to sense my tipping point; her languid moments became more determined.
My hips hadn't touched the sheets since I woke up. "Baby" seemed to vibrate through every part of me as Holly slipped two fingers into me. This was ecstasy, every fiber of my being was screaming for Holly to keep going. "Fuck!" I almost screamed when I felt her fingers curl searching for the switch that instantly catapulted me over the edge. The fire quickly blazing as I tried to find my breath. "Morning" Holly smiled, kissing my neck as she settled on top of me. "Morning" I muttered, still trying to catch my breath. "Wanna know a secret?" Holly asked, her fingers finding their way under my shirt. "Hmm?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her once I could move again. "I really like coming home to you in my bed" Holly let out a laugh as her fingers traced shapeless patterns on my hip. "It felt weird." I wrapped my legs around her.
"I've never been here without you." I pulled her close to me slowly working her shirt up her back. "But" I smiled, allowing Holly to sit up enough to take off her shirt. "I really like waking up to you getting into bed." I let my fingers run along the expanse of the tan skin of Holly's back. "And if waking up like this replaces an alarm clock." I smiled as she swatted at my arm. "I love you." I kissed her feeling as she settled on top of me. "I could get used to this" I laughed, running my fingers along the inside of her sleep shorts.
"You can" Holly breathed grinding her hips into me, I couldn't help but moan, my body was still on fire. "God you feel good" I kissed her again, feeling a need to bring her into the same state of bliss I was currently floating in. with the stress of the last month or so these moments had been rare. I craved Holly in a way I had craved no one else, her skin, her smell, the sound of her moaning. I was soon finding out that it was harder and harder to spend long periods without her.
Holly was lying next to me, tangled in the sheets a lazy smile playing at the corners of her lips. "God I've missed you in my bed." Holly laughed looking at me before covering her face with her hands. "Don't take off running." Holly fought the sheets to settle across me. "Why would I take off running?" I asked, stretching before trying to burrow into the comforter. This morning's activities had worn me out; I was hoping Holly wasn't going to want to do productive things today because I wanted to cuddle on the couch. "It's an open offer, for when you're ready." Holly seemed to Gail 40 pounds as she spread out on the bed pinning me beneath her. "When you're ready to, I want you to move in, because I love waking up with you here, and you being here when I get home." Holly watched me with worried eyes and I smiled.
"I like this too" I smoothing her disheveled hair. "I love you hol, I love this, and I love us, but ima need to give the boys some notice" I smiled loving the idea of living with Holly. The key freaked me out, but the idea of living with Holly, that didn't scare me. "Yay" Holly laughed not moving from across me. "Ima nap now" I laughed, closing my eyes.
"Your cute when you nap." Holly giggled and I opened an eye and watched her. "When have you watched me nap?" I asked, scratching my head, knowing my hair was a horrible mess. "Tracie took a picture of your nap at the penny last night; she said you just kinda passed out on the table for a moment." Holly laughed reaching for her phone on the nightstand. The picture showing on Holly's screen was just that, me asleep across the table at the penny with Steve, Andy, and Dov making faces behind me. "That explains some stuff" I laughed, giving her back her phone.
I was no longer a cat in a tree, I wasn't trying to create emergency situations, and I was happy and content to sleep in my new home. "Hols" I breathed, trying to pull her off me, but keeping her in my arms. "I'm no longer a cat" I muttered, feeling myself falling asleep. "I think" I yawned, "I think I'm home."