Finally and forever in Jazz
Summery: -
Disclaimer: I do not own CSI NY
A/N: Sorry for the delay, needed to find time but it kept running away.
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Don walked around a corner and down the dimly lit streets before reaching the entrance of Mac's jazz club. He'd only been there once before, when he was forced to by his colleagues, after not believing that Mac spent most Wednesday nights playing bass for its band. The club looked shut from the outside but he could hear sounds of a jukebox and people chatting inside. As he carefully pushing the windowed door, warm air and the smell of wine washed over him. There were lots of people around, scattered everywhere with drinks in their hands while chatting. He looked around and noticed lots of the people from the lab, a few from the department and also some government officials he'd seen hanging around. He still had no idea why he was there and mainly came because Mac had offered.
As he walked towards the bar he noticed Danny leaning forward talking to the bartender. 'Danny!' he called over the music and chatter.
'Yo, what's up Don?' Danny turned around, beer in hand.
'What's going on?'
'Mac didn't tell you?'
Don shook his head, 'I was just asked to meet here.'
Danny smiled at him while looking somewhere behind Don, 'Why not go ask him?' He pointed with his free hand to Mac and Stella who had emerged from the crowd of people.
'You're late Don!' Stella spoke first before wrapping her arms around his neck and pecking him on the cheek.
'Late for?' he raised an eyebrow towards Mac and Stella once Stella released him.
'I might have forgot to mention it but it was a surprise birthday for Stella,' Mac spoke shyly from behind Stella and began to turn red when she placed an arm around him.
'It was so sweet of him. He just told me he was performing and wanted me to come watch; I didn't expect the whole lab to be here with a cake that read 'Surprise Stella!''
Don smiled and laughed, 'Wow, really? You did all of that for her?'
Mac shrugged as if it was nothing, 'She deserved it.'
'Aww,' Stella said before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek causing him to turn his head away from the team to not show how bright he turned.
'Well, enjoy and I'm glad you could make it,' Stella gave one last smile at the two of them before leaving back into the crowd with Mac.
'He has it bad for her,' Don said once Stella and Mac were out of ear shot.
'You think we should tell them?' Danny asked.
Don shook his head while taking a sip from his beer, 'Nah.'
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Don continued to walk around for a while just scanning the crowd for someone he knew but besides finding Danny and Lindsay together and Adam and Kendall together, there was no one alone he felt he could engage in conversation with. He share a brief conversation with Hawkes until he couldn't take the words trace, case and evidence any longer and moved on. He debated with himself, while taking a swing at his second mug of beer, about going over to talk to Sid but strayed away when he noticed the rest of pathologist team gathering around him.
Once his third glass was drained he began scouting the floor again and started walking towards the back area of the club, somewhere he had never been before. As he past groups of lab techs he felt a draft of breeze from one of the doors which was left slightly ajar. Opening it slightly he found it lead to a narrow, steep staircase. Out of curiosity he pulled out his pen torch from his pocket, found the switch for the lights and began walking up.
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'Jess!' Stella rushed towards her once she entered. She might have arrived a few hours later than Mac had suggested the party start but as long as everyone was there Stella didn't really mind. 'Glad you could make it!'
'I'm so sorry Stella, I haven't brought anything for you – Mac never told me what this was all about. I only got a call from Lindsay 10 minutes ago telling me everything.'
'It doesn't matter, I'm just happy everyone could make it.'
The three of them then headed their way towards the bar where they each order a drink while Stella told Jess about how much she was enjoying Mac's surprise birthday present. Mac, of course, shying away every time his name was mentioned, hated the limelight of popularity due to everything he'd done for Stella. As Jess started curiously asking about the other attendees of Stella's party, the only thing she got in reply was, 'Don's upstairs.' Nodding understandably Jess stood from the bar excused herself and headed towards the stairs.
She didn't know why but the way Stella mentioned it indicated he was waiting for her. She didn't want to seem eager but she wondered if he'd asked Stella to tell her where he was if she arrived?
She'd never been to Mac's jazz bar before but enjoyed the atmosphere. Her mother was a strike jazz lover and constantly had a jazz cd playing when her father was out late. Jess herself, however, was not such a huge fan. She'd listen to it but almost blindly due to the fact that her mother made her appreciated it thought she rarely did.
As she walked up the stairs the air became colder, the late night was slowly turning into early morning and she tightly pulled her jacket around her to warm her self up. Pushing the heavy metal door she walked out onto the dark, dusty roof top of the club.
'Hey,' she called out to a mysterious tall figure leaning against the balcony railing. There were a few table and chairs on the roof but the temperature wasn't as inviting as the warm atmosphere downstairs. 'Stella mentioned you were up here.'
Don turned from watching the nightly lights of New York brighten the blackness of the sky. He was casual – jeans, a shirt and jacket; nothing formal nothing unacceptable. He stayed where he was, leaning against the banisters and said, 'I just came up here. Was too tired of all the noise and commotion downstairs'
Jess nodded slightly, trying to believe his story. She knew he wasn't 'unsociable' but more he enjoyed the company of himself, 'Right, so you tried to escape the fun, the excitement and the exhilarating enjoyment of celebrating Stella's birthday?'
'I was lonely,' Don answered her straight up – not changing a look in his face or the position of his body. Jess couldn't help but smile though, his cheekiness, without even trying, was inviting. She took a few steps forward and faced the opposite way to Don, staring out into the speckled darkness of New York.
'You look nice,' Don mentioned as he leaned against the banister next to her. She was wearing a small, simple black dress, heels and a cropped black jeans jacket. 'You're also late.'
Jess laughed and shook her head in disbelief, 'I was let into my apartment this afternoon. I spent the whole time sifting through my stuff seeing what needed to go back to the drycleaners and what didn't. This,' she motioned to her outfit, 'seemed to be the only thing that didn't need to be.'
'I think it looks good,' he was trying to compliment her but she wasn't taking any of it. She laughed and looked away and didn't seem to pay any attention to him. He was just trying to be nice, that's what she thought but he wasn't. He couldn't remember a time when he thought she looked more radiant. He loved how simple she could look yet so, prefect at the same time. 'I mean it.'
She turned to look at him this time, watching the illuminate glow of his eyes in the dim light around them. It was like she felt captured looking in them. The idea that she couldn't move because she would instantly start missing the glistening glow his eyes gave out.
'Really?' she asked it softy, under her breath almost. There was little space between them – she could feel his body heat pressing through her jacket sleeve onto her bare skin.
'Yeah,' he said in approval as he turned so his whole body was facing her. There was a slight tension between them possibly due to the increasingly diminishing gap between them but this time they intended on closing it fully.
Don placed a hand on her waist and pulled her closer slightly. The tips of their nose brushed for a moment as they stared into each others eyes foreseeing what was going to happen next. They both knew what would happen but it was a game of who would take the first step and it was unsurprising that he did.
Leaning in, that one last inch, he rested his lips lightly on hers. A moment they both had probably been waiting for, for so long and after that morning he felt he needed to make it up to her – tell her how much he was sorry for everything.
Her lips was soft, as he expected, and tasted very much of fruity lip balm, he could smell her perfume too – a strong, powerful scent that matched her independence. Her dress was soft, satin soft and his hand rested on her hip; her's were slowly finding its way up around his neck as she leaned back onto the banister and he leaned forward onto her.
It was tingly and sensational as they stood there, in the cool breeze, in each others arms. The kiss wasn't exactly powerful and passionate but more simple, sweet and deep. There was nothing extreme, nothing extravagant, nothing except the acceptance that both of them where there, together and they both could want nothing else in the world.
'Do you think we should go down?' Don finally broke it, reluctantly of course but he finally lifted his lips of her's and watched the shimmering light bounce off her golden brown eyes.
'It's getting cold, I think we should,' he let go of her, but only just, so he could keep one arm wrapped around her shoulder as they headed back towards the metallic door that opened into the inviting warmth of the club.
They noticed there wasn't much chatter from the main area of the club but more the sound of live jazz. They headed back towards the bar and found Mac, on stage with the club band, playing bass. He was looking down at his playing but occasionally looked up, glancing into the audience, but everyone knew, Don and Jess knew, that he was only looking towards the front row to watch Stella eagerly watching him play in front of the lab and precinct and any other officers that had made an effort to come.
The song was tuned down, soft, sweet, and matched the glowing blue lights that lighted the stage. As Don and Jess stood at the back of the crowd watching, Don pulled Jess closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. They stood, swaying slightly to the calming sounds of the music and enjoyed their little moment because between them they still weren't sure how public they wanted to be but in the dark, black lights of the back of the club where no one could see them, they took the little moment to enjoy how close they could be to each other while among so many people.
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A/N: Sorry that was late, have been kindda buys? Well yes, there was prom, then I have a social gathering at my house and my dad came back so I spent time with him, but now, besides studying and going to the cinema - lots - I am free! Yay! Well, hope you like this chapter, little case of 'unsure-what-to-write-ness' but I think I got over it in the end! So, comment, favourite, subscribe – all the things you do best please and oh, if you can think of a better title that 'a day in a life' please tell me I really don't like it but have NO IDEA what to change it to – try something funky and original XP Thanks a lot peeps! Oh and if ANYONE knows the name of the jazz bar Mac plays at pray tell!